• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, November 1, 2018

Target hopes there’ll be no escape from its new holiday campaign, increasing its marketing budget by mid-single digits in an effort to make sure 98% of Americans see its new “Gather Round” spots. 

It’s especially aiming to reach millennials, families with young kids, families with teens and empty-nesters.

Ads feature Sia singing a peppy update of “Round and Round.” And unlike previous holiday efforts, each of the ads stands alone in promoting specific products, with 20 in English and 18 in Spanish. The Minneapolis-based retailer says that change will make it easier to adjust its marketing strategy as the season unfolds. 

(Last year, Target relied on “Together the joy,” featuring many installments as a team of kids did the holiday right. The year before, it staged an elaborate Nutcracker recreation starring John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, also rolled out in segments.)

A spokesperson tells Marketing Daily the English-language ads, created by Deutsch and Target Creative, include a broad media plan. Ads, which also tout Target’s recently announced free two-day shipping, are running on TV, radio, digital and social. And it’s distributing three different holiday catalogs.

Music is a big part of the push. “Round and round,” originally a Perry Como hit back in the 1950s, is one of the Target-exclusive tracks on Sia’s upcoming “Everyday is Christmas” album, and streaming on Spotify, Pandora and iTunes. And Spanish-language versions feature music from Latin America star Natalia Lafourcade.

Macy’s is also starting its holiday marketing, announcing its 11^th consecutive “Believe” campaign, a partnership with the Make-A-Wish, which works with critically ill children. People can send Santa a holiday wish list and drop it in a “Believe” mailbox or post it online, with Macy’s donating $1 for each letter (up to $1 million.) Over the years, the seasonal campaign has generated $17 million, resulting in 13,000 wishes granted.