• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, November 19, 2010

To make sure it gets its share of Black Friday traffic, Macy's is launching a series of comical new 15-second spots. In one, Martha Stewart brandishes a rooster and wakes a snoozing couple up. In another, Jessica Simpson serenades them with a song from her holiday album. And in a third, stragglers from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade wander through the bedroom, reminding the pair that Macy's is opening its doors at 4:00 am.

"Essentially, they are quick, fun "wake up and get here early" messages," a spokesperson explains.

Target is also running a series of comical ads, featuring the same sweat-suited woman the Minneapolis-based chain introduced last year, in training for the big shopping event.

Retailers are hoping that this Black Friday will be a strong one. And industry experts are now predicting that Black Friday will be bigger than any since 2006—at least in terms of bodies storming the malls.