In a holiday season unlike most, Target is running a campaign centered around making the most of each and every moment, maintaining old traditions and finding new ways to celebrate from home. The campaign, which is released today, encourages viewers to take the holiday into their own hands to preserve the joy of the holidays.
“The holidays will be different for all of us this year, and our marketing campaign is all about inspiring guests to celebrate the beauty in simple moments of joy at home,” says Rick Gomez, chief marketing, digital and strategy officer at Target.
The spot, created by Mother in New York, comes in two versions, one in English and the other in Spanish. The English features Mary J. Blige’s hit “Real Love,” a song about fostering togetherness. The Spanish spot features a spin on the song by award-winning Latina artist Anitta. Concept and production for the campaign was handled by Mother, while Essence led media strategy and buying. The campaign will run across broadcast television, streaming platforms and digital.
The advertisement features scenes of families building gingerbread houses, dancing around while they decorate their tree, coming together for dinner and exchanging meaningful gifts. The spot ends at a small New Year’s Eve party with the quote, “An ending means a new beginning,” a testament to consumers’ desire to enter a year of better health and higher spirits.
The ads—there are ten in total as part of the campaign—were filmed with the safety of the actors featured in mind: Each family or group of friends shown actually lives together or has been isolating together in real life.
Target’s holiday campaign is part of a larger effort to appeal to consumers this winter. The retailer has slightly increased its marketing spend for holiday 2020, in particular in targeting the “multicultural guest,” according to a statement from Target. Black Friday deals have been extended through the holiday season, and all guests are able to utilize same-day pickup and delivery for the remainder of the year.
Brands across industries are taking unique approaches to holiday advertising this year. Sam’s Club reimagined its shopping experience by offering customers a virtual walkthrough of the Griswold Family House, complete with purchasable Sam’s Club products. Neiman Marcus took a similar approach to Target and launched a campaign about the magic of the holiday season, while JetBlue looked to drive sales after a tough year by launching early Christmas sales.
