Simon has launched “It’s a Simon Thing,” a national brand campaign that combines television, cinema, digital and social advertising with the company’s expanding retail media infrastructure. The campaign also represents one of the first major activations of the recently launched Simon Media Network, connecting brand marketing with first-party consumer data and media inventory across Simon’s shopping destinations.
Simon, the real estate investment trust behind more than 200 Malls and Premium Outlets, said the campaign is designed to position its properties as places for social interaction and discovery rather than solely as retail destinations. The campaign builds on the company’s 2024 “Meet Me @themall” initiative, which focused on younger consumers and their relationship with physical mall environments.
The new platform uses a flexible “It’s a ___ Thing” creative structure that can be adapted across shopping occasions, seasons and individual properties. Examples cited by Simon include “Malls Thing,” “Outlets Thing,” “Back-to-School Thing” and “Holiday Thing.” From an advertising operations perspective, the structure gives a national campaign a common creative framework while allowing individual destinations to adapt messaging to local audiences and events.
The campaign will run across television, cinema, digital and social platforms including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Simon also plans to extend the campaign through influencer and creator content, adding user-oriented storytelling to its brand advertising.
The more consequential AdTech development is the campaign’s connection to Simon Media Network. Simon says the network will use first-party consumer intelligence to inform its media plan while extending campaigns across its integrated marketing ecosystem. That includes digital displays located within its properties and experiential activations.
This creates a bridge between conventional brand advertising and retail media. Retail media networks have traditionally been associated with retailers using first-party shopper data and owned media environments to sell advertising. Simon’s model applies a similar principle to physical shopping destinations, where digital screens, experiential spaces and consumer data can potentially be combined with off-site digital and social activity.
For advertisers, the appeal is the ability to connect media exposure with a physical commercial environment. A campaign can reach consumers through broad-reach channels while also appearing inside the destinations where shopping, dining and entertainment take place. The effectiveness of that model, however, depends on audience segmentation, measurement and the ability to demonstrate incremental value across channels.
Simon has not disclosed campaign spending, audience targets or performance results for the new platform. It also has not detailed how first-party consumer intelligence will be used at the individual campaign level.
The launch arrives as retail media continues expanding beyond ecommerce websites and retailer apps into physical environments. For shopping-center operators, owned media inventory can create an additional commercial layer around existing real estate assets. Digital displays and experiential placements can function as advertising inventory while remaining integrated into the consumer experience.
Simon’s campaign therefore illustrates a broader shift in retail media: physical destinations are increasingly being treated not just as distribution points for products, but as addressable media environments. The long-term opportunity will depend on whether networks such as Simon Media Network can provide advertisers with scalable inventory, reliable audience insights and transparent measurement across physical and digital channels.
Market Landscape
Retail media is increasingly extending beyond retailer websites and sponsored product placements into physical stores and other owned environments. Simon’s strategy applies that concept to malls and Premium Outlets by combining first-party consumer intelligence with on-center digital displays and experiential media.
The model also reflects the growing convergence between brand media and retail media. Television, social platforms, digital advertising and physical media can be planned as parts of a broader campaign rather than isolated channels.
For advertisers, the challenge is measurement. Physical media can provide proximity to commercial environments, but advertisers need consistent audience definitions and measurement frameworks to understand how exposure contributes to visits, engagement and transactions.
Strategic Outlook
Simon’s campaign demonstrates how commercial property owners can turn physical environments into integrated media platforms.
For advertisers, Simon Media Network could offer access to consumers across digital channels and high-traffic physical locations. Agencies may also gain another option for combining awareness campaigns with experiential activations.
For Simon, the strategy potentially creates advertising value from assets that already exist across its property portfolio. The critical question will be whether the network can scale beyond individual mall activations while maintaining meaningful audience data and measurable campaign outcomes.
The campaign itself is confirmed; its longer-term commercial performance remains unreported.
Top Insights
- Simon launched a national “It’s a Simon Thing” brand platform spanning TV, cinema, digital and social.
- The campaign is one of the first major activations of Simon Media Network.
- Simon plans to use first-party consumer intelligence to inform its media strategy.
- On-center digital displays and experiential activations connect advertising with physical retail environments.
- The strategy reflects the expansion of retail media into physical commercial spaces.
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