Penningtons launches the 'Freedom to Be Me.' Campaign celebrating all women

MONTREAL, Sept. 7, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Penningtons, the Canadian leader in plus-size women's fashion, launches the 'Freedom to Be Me.' campaign, aiming to establish a community of free, authentic, and confident women. To launch the campaign, Penningtons collaborated with Alicia McCarvell, Mélissa Bédard and Stephanie Valentine (also known as Glamzilla), a group of women who embrace the very essence of freedom by telling their stories honestly and unapologetically. This truly authentic and inspiring Fall 2021 campaign launches today in 92 stores across Canada as well as on Penningtons' website and social media platforms.

"Our mission is to foster a safe space on social media that values confidence and empowerment, and encourages an authentic dialogue amongst our followers. We are creating a community where women everywhere can feel supported and inspired to take the space they deserve," says Penningtons Marketing Director, Kathy Tsolakos. "We are proud to work with Alicia, Mélissa and Stephanie, who by openly sharing their own personal journeys and advocating for self-love, are uplifting millions of people worldwide. They are real, raw, authentic, and unbelievably inspiring."

Working in conjunction with Montreal based creative agency REBL HOUSE, Penningtons sought to create a campaign that highlights Canadian women who share their story of self-discovery.

"It took me 29 years to understand my worth, and I want others to watch this campaign and feel empowered to step into who they are, wholeheartedly and confidently," says Alicia McCarvell. Penningtons believes that every woman is far too special and powerful to feel anything but free.

"The 'Freedom to Be Me.' campaign is the beginning of a new era for Penningtons. In speaking directly to our customers, we recognized the opportunity to refresh and modernize our brand image. Our customers wanted to see more diversity in our marketing, just like they do in our clothing," explains Kathy Tsolakos. For the past 12 months, Penningtons has undertaken a rebranding strategy to elevate its approach toward product offerings, styling, voice, and visuals. The brand has also refreshed its logo and is currently working on various projects to modernize and connect with its ever-growing consumer base.

A Community of Free, Authentic and Unapologetic Women: #PennGals

As part of the launch of its Fall 2021 campaign, Penningtons has created #PennGals, a community of loyal customers who embody inclusivity, authenticity, and freedom. Highlighted within that community are our 3 ambassadors, Alicia, Mélissa and Stephanie.

Meet the Ambassadors:

Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Alicia McCarvell, a TikTok superstar, uses humour to tackle conversations around body image, worth, and self-love. She believes that "Your body shouldn't dictate how you live your life. It is the least interesting thing about you. It is changing and evolving always. But who you are to the core is what will always remain."

Singer and actress Mélissa Bédard was born in Haiti and raised in Quebec. To her, "The most important message, in my opinion, is that women should feel comfortable in their own skin; they should love themselves as they are." She advocates for female empowerment and charms the masses with her hilarious sense of humour and infectious personality.

Stephanie Valentine, aka Glamzilla, is a Filipino-Latina-Canadian beauty guru who promotes confidence by sharing unedited and unfiltered beauty content with her extensive following. "If I can have an impact on my community, I want to inspire others to be unapologetically themselves," explains Glamzilla.

ABOUT PENNINGTONS

Penningtons, a Reitmans (Canada) Limited brand, is the Canadian leader in curvy women's fashion, specializing in denim, lingerie, sportswear, outerwear, workwear, footwear, accessories and more. Since 1948, Penningtons inspires and empowers women with aspirational trend-right fashion and specialty brands including the Addition Elle collection. The brand has a strong commitment to being an inclusive advocate for body diversity and size acceptance. Penningtons operates 92 power centre stores across Canada and offers online shopping through Penningtons.com.

ABOUT REITMANS (CANADA) LIMITED

The Company is a leading women's specialty apparel retailer with retail outlets throughout Canada. The Company operates 412 stores consisting of 242 Reitmans, 92 Penningtons and 78 RW&CO. The Company is a publicly traded company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: RET) (TSXV: RET-A). For more information, visit www.reitmanscanadalimited.com.

SOURCE Penningtons