Photo Credit: JCPenny
Over the weekend, supermodel Ashley Graham released what appeared to be a dramatic trailer for a thriller titled Omitted, featuring herself in the lead role as a woman grappling with invisibility. But in a clever twist, the film doesn’t actually exist. Instead, the trailer serves as a powerful metaphor for how plus-size women are often overlooked – and as the launchpad for something very real: Graham’s new size-inclusive fashion collection with JCPenney, which officially debuted this week.
The campaign highlights a stark disparity in representation: although 67% of women in the U.S. wear plus-size clothing, fewer than 1% are cast as leading characters in major films. By presenting Ashley Graham as a blockbuster heroine in a faux movie trailer, the project cleverly underscores this imbalance – only to reveal that the real story is a fashion launch designed to make curvy women feel seen, celebrated, and centered.
Directed by Tom Dey of Picture Farm, the campaign launched with a faux movie trailer that delivered a bold message. “We launched the collection with a fake movie designed to make a very real statement,” said Dana Buckhorn, associate creative director at Mischief @ No Fixed Address, the agency behind the campaign. As she emphasizes, the campaign isn’t just about this bold, new clothing line – it’s about refusing to fade into the background. With Ashley Graham at the center, the launch spotlights “something the industry too often ignores: the lack of true plus-sized representation.
For JCPenney, the campaign is a strategic move to move away from its buttoned-up reputation and connect with a younger, more culturally attuned audience. By pairing Ashley Graham’s star power with a sharp critique of representation, and transforming that narrative into a retail moment, the brand aims to ignite conversation while driving sales. It’s a bold statement that fits within JCPenney’s “Yes, JCPenney!” brand refresh, which focuses on reintroducing the retailer to a new generation of shoppers through bolder, more relevant storytelling.
Marisa Thalberg, executive VP and chief customer and marketing officer for Catalyst Brands, noted that the campaign was born out of a desire to challenge a culture where fashion repeatedly spotlights the same bodies and stories. By creating a trailer for a film that doesn’t yet exist, the team aimed to spark a broader conversation, one they hope will eventually become reality.
