J.Crew’s Unorthodox Olympics Moment

J.Crew is tying its brand to Olympic swimming without coming close to a Parisian pool.

The American retailer isn’t an official sponsor of the games, and lacks the technical expertise to outfit the athletes. Ralph Lauren has had the opening and closing ceremony looks on lockdown since 2008.

Instead, J.Crew is a prime example of a category of marketing that might be described as Olympics adjacent. Through its partnership with USA Swimming, the governing body that selects which athletes will represent the country at the games, the company is releasing swimsuits and trunks, but also hoodies, T-shirts and shorts bearing the organisation’s logo. Ads feature past and current Olympic swimmers, including Dare Rose, who will participate in the men’s 4 x 200 metre freestyle relay tournament Tuesday.

Unlike official licensees of the Olympics name including Nike, Kith, Skims and dozens of other consumer brands this year, J.Crew did not register and pay to be officially affiliated with the sporting event. Its association with USA Swimming is an indirect reference to the games — but one that allows the brand to benefit from its cultural cachet. As part of the collaboration, J.Crew made a donation to the philanthropic arm of the swimming organisation, which provides financial support to the athletes on the US national team and helps broaden community access to the sport.

It was an instant success; 80 percent of products sold on the day they were released in June, according to J.Crew chief executive Libby Wadle. That week, J.Crew’s website traffic saw a double-digit bump and a 10 percent spike in new customers year-on-year. The customer reception was so positive that Wadle and her design team went back to the drawing board to come up with a second batch of products under the partnership, which dropped a week before the Opening Ceremony.

“We were not planning on the second drop,” said Wadle. “The engagement around this campaign, frankly, since I’ve had this role, was beyond anything we’ve seen.”

J.Crew’s activation with USA Swimming is one of many collaborations the brand pursues every year. In recent months, it has released products with the likes of Maryam Nassir Zadeh, Anna October, jewellery brand Catbird and hit TV show The Bear. The current collection with Maryam Nassir Zadeh is the first time the New York label by its eponymous designer, Maryam Nassirzadeh, has participated in a collaboration.

These tie-ups are a vital part of J.Crew’s DNA, according to Wadle, and come in the form of partnerships with both brands and cultural entities. Other recent tie-ups include New York City Ballet, Los Angeles streetwear brand Union and HommeGirls.

“The way we think about [collaborations] today is how to bring important categories to life, and how to connect with culture and have it feel really authentic to the brand,” said Wadle.

Sports aren’t a natural fit for J.Crew, which is better known for its everyday casual wear inspired by the preppy New England aesthetic. This campaign marks the first time the company has tried to market itself through the lens of the Olympics.

A tie-up with a sporting organisation with connections to the Olympics was the answer. It also allowed J.Crew to showcase its swim products, one of its most lucrative categories.

“While we’re not a sportswear brand, we are a swimwear brand,” said Wadle, under whom the brand has sustained a turnaround effort since its bankruptcy in 2020. “And how can you ignore the fact that the most important event of summer is the Olympic Games?”

Wadle was able to leverage her personal network and connect with friend-of-a-friend Chris Brearton, the chairman of USA Swimming, earlier this year. Together, the brand and the swim agency formulated a campaign that highlights the personal stories of past Olympic swimmers as well as athletes who at the time may qualify for the 2024 games, Wadle said.

The resulting campaign can be viewed on J.Crew’s website and social media, as well as as ads on streaming platforms and out-of-home marketing channels.

“We definitely wanted to use this moment to be a very important brand moment, beyond product, and talk about J.Crew as a great American brand,” said Wadle.

The unplanned second batch of products was created from inventory that J.Crew already owned: blank tops, tanks, bags and shorts — including a best-selling cropped cashmere polo — over which the company was able to embroider a USA Swimming insignia.

“We went back to our design team immediately and asked, ‘How can we activate a second version that doesn’t feel like a restock?’” Wadle said.

The campaign with USA Swimming may be the first of its kind for J.Crew, but it won’t be the last.

“Certainly when we think about the future, there are probably opportunities in the winter,” Wadle said. “We’re a sweaters brand too.”