• by Larissa Faw , November 16, 2015

People magazine is branching into ecommerce with People Shop, and its agency The Terri & Sandy Solution is raising awareness with a multichannel advertising campaign. 

Titled Own It, the creative incorporates well-known themes from People including Sexiest Man Alive and Red Carpet by pairing headlines with products instead of celebrity news content.  

One print ad, for instance, reads “This Award Season, Take Home Some Gold” and showcases an array of gold home decor items. Another ad proclaims “This Season’s Cutest Couples” to showcase items that come in pairs, and “Bling without the Ka-Ching” to feature "glamorous yet affordable products."  

“We wanted to create a campaign ingrained in the bright colors, bold designs, and fun voice associated with the People brand, while also pulling inspiration from consumers who are showcasing their own style on social media,” said Sandy Greenberg, cofounder and copresident of Terri and Sandy.

“Every People Shop product looks ready to make an Instagram appearance. The ads are curated to inspire consumers, while still tying to themes deeply rooted in the People brand.” 

The campaign runs in print, digital, and social media. Since People is owned by Time Inc., its sister publications -- such as Time magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Real Simple and Essence -- will help promote the site.  

This venture is part of Time Inc.'s attempt to reposition its key brands to counteract the deceleration of its traditional print revenues. Print and other traditional advertising revenues declined $44 million or 12% to $319 million in Q3, while digital advertising revenues were up $14 million or 22% to $79 million in the quarter.

The commerce effort is intended at least in part to bring readers back to the company’s Web sites to engage them with content to drive subscriber counts up, say Time executives.  

People Shop features exclusive products born from partnerships with brands like Frends (headphones) and Julep (eyeshadow set), as well as sunglasses from Quay and earrings from Baublebar, which can be found in the People gift box inspired by “The Voice.”