• by Sarah Mahoney , Staff Writer @mahoney_sarah, May 28, 2025

Kay Jewelers wants to turn up the volume on love, and it’s hoping Teddy Swims can help. The Grammy-nominated R&B star has signed on as the brand’s first-ever “chief love officer,” lending his voice, fashion sense and Gen Z fandom to a campaign aimed at sparking emotional resonance among younger shoppers.

The move is part of parent company Signet Jewelers’ ongoing transformation, which aims to shift Kay, Zales and Jared -- its three biggest brands --from transactional "banners" to emotional lifestyle destinations. Swims will headline the new “Love Louder” campaign, re-record the “Every Kiss Begins with Kay” jingle, and curate jewelry collections tied to his first Father’s Day and his sold-out tour. Kay is also sponsoring the tour, with in-store and online tie-ins to Swims’ stage style.

Kay, like many mall-based jewelers, is under pressure. While Swims brings cultural clout, there is no guarantee that a celebrity partnership will translate to sales. U.S. jewelry spending remains soft, and Signet has struggled to regain momentum. In its most recent quarter, Signet reported a 6% decline in sales, despite strong performance in lab-grown diamonds and modest gains around Valentine’s Day.

Still, executives remain bullish on the brand’s potential. CEO J.K. Symancyk says Kay’s next phase hinges on deeper emotional storytelling and a push into everyday jewelry purchases. “Brands build loyalty with emotional and engaging connections,” he said on a recent earnings call. “Banners are transactional -- a static nameplate on the door.”

That approach is already playing out across Signet’s portfolio. Sister brand Zales recently launched an “Own It” campaign targeting Gen Z women with trend-driven, lower-priced diamonds meant for self-expression rather than milestones. Jared has leaned into designer collaborations. And Signet has reorganized operations to better support four customer types -- including “core milestone and romantic gifting,” which includes Kay.

But building emotional connection with Gen Z -- already skeptical of traditional institutions and cautious with discretionary spending -- is a tall order. And while Kay pushes “Love Louder,” competitor Pandora is quietly thriving. The world’s largest mall jeweler, known more for charms than carats, posted a 7% sales increase in its most recent quarter. The success of that company, which has long stressed personalization and everyday gifting, suggests that foot traffic and format aren’t Kay’s only challenges, and that message, value, and relevance matter, too.

Swims, whose breakout hit “Lose Control” has dominated streaming charts and radio airplay, may help close that gap, and the brand seems to be betting that heart, soul -- and a reworked jingle -- might be enough to start a new kind of love story.