• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, May 4, 2009

In an effort to convince recession-walloped women that they can afford to shop, TJX says it is launching its first-ever joint marketing effort for T.J. Maxx and Marshalls.

The integrated campaign, in a mockumentary style, follows well-dressed women as they chase down overspending friends -- catching them in the act of paying full price. ("Look, there's her car!") Confrontations follow: "We can't watch you do this to yourself," they say, taking her hand. "Are you ready to take the first step?"

A spokesperson for the Framingham, Mass.-based company says that while many customers do shop at both its T.J. Maxx and Marshalls unit, "there are many shoppers who don't shop the stores because they don't understand the off-price concept. Given the economy, this is the perfect time to educate them on the concept of off-price and why it's the better way to shop. And what better way to learn than from friends who are in the know?"

The ads, created by GSD&M, started running this week on network TV in major markets, she says.

Borrowing a page from Wal-Mart Store's value positioning, the company claims to have saved fashion-savvy shoppers $1 billion since January, compared to department and specialty store prices.

In addition to TV, the company says it will include a guerilla marketing effort in nine cities, with live-street theater where actors perform spending interventions. That effort -- which includes roving billboards that feature the TV spots as well as items currently in stock in stores -- is set to begin May 12, focusing on New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, San Francisco and Miami.

As consumer demand continues to build -- after all, the average consumer can go only so long before needing to freshen up her wardrobe somehow -- some off-price retailers appear to be better positioned to gain sales. (Sadly, that doesn't include Filene's Basement, a leading off-price store that just filed for bankruptcy.)

While department stores sales continue to deteriorate, in its latest reporting period, TJX actually saw a gain of 2% in its comparable-store sales in March -- better than it expected. At the time, the company attributed the gain to "our excellent value proposition on fresh selections of great brands and fashions, even against today's highly promotional competition." Its April sales results are scheduled to be announced later this week.