• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, October 13, 2022

As Kardashian fans are well aware, momager Kris Jenner is generally over the moon about the holidays. And she's the new star of Shutterfly's "Win the holidays" campaign, highlighting the company's many personalized cards and gift offerings.

Shutterfly chose Jenner not just because of her 60 million social media followers but because of her strong intergenerational appeal. She's not just an engaged matriarch but a doting grandma as well. And her reveal each year of the family Christmas card is "a cultural moment," says Ty Shay, Shutterfly's chief growth and strategy officer.

"My wife and 17-year-old daughter are the toughest critics of my marketing ideas," says Ty Shay, Shutterfly's chief growth and strategy officer. "When they both said, 'Ooh, Kris Jenner!' I knew we had a winner."

Celebrities like Jenner don't come cheap. "But if you choose the right celebrity, it dramatically increases the response rate. So this was an easy calculation. We feel very comfortable that just on the paid media alone, this would be a worthwhile investment," he says. "That doesn't even factor in the organic social impressions. This will be a great partnership for Shutterfly."

He expects to impact its existing customer base, citing the company's high loyalty metrics. "At the same time, we want to introduce Shutterfly to a new generation of customers, and she's the perfect partner for that."

Shay says this campaign aims to straddle brand awareness with performance marketing. "We're incorporating this idea of performance storytelling. Kris tells a great story. And with the offer and the promo code, we're trying to be accountable marketers. These spots will build awareness and lead to improved performance."

With its rich store of first-party data, this campaign will enable "the type of storytelling that's relevant and also show it's a great investment for the company as we grow."

The campaign includes two 30-second spots. The first focuses on the company's card and stationery selection. That's the line the company is best known for. "We sell about 130 million cards each year," he says, primarily competing against companies like Minted.

In the second spot, Jenner promotes Shutterfly's personalized gifts, where it competes with companies like Etsy.

Ads offer shoppers 40% off, and Shutterfly's homepage gives 50% off many items. Shay says that decision is a nod to the sputtering economy, driving many people to shop earlier this year.

"We wanted to be first out the door, targeting people who are time-starved," he tells Marketing Daily. "We want this to appeal to the 'I want to get this out of the way' shoppers, the early go-getters."

And while its core audience loves the personalization Shutterfly offers, what they value most is their own time.

Partners in Crime created the campaign, directed by Erich Joiner. It also includes 15-second versions of the ads, running on TV, digital and social.