• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, November 4, 2024

Target is inviting shoppers into the holiday season with extra exuberance this year, hoping to reignite that Tarzhay enthusiasm in reluctant shoppers.

Led by a fantasy-come-to-life TV spot, the new ads are more sincere than snappy. They follow exuberant kids as they navigate a store full of penguins, reindeer, igloos, snowball fights and a massive polar bear. Mythology is the agency.

“We’re all about igniting consumers’ imaginations and showing how Target helps all families experience the season as a feeling,” says Michelle Mesenburg, senior vice president of creative and content, in the retailer’s announcement.

She adds that the marketing blitz will “remind guests that Target is on the holiday journey with them, whether they’re looking for inspiration or crossing things off their lists, and we are here to help them hold on to that magic all season long.”

The company previously announced two Taylor Swift exclusives, coming on Black Friday: The official “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Book” and "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology" album, in both vinyl and CD, with acoustic bonus songs. Previously, the album had only been available as a digital release. (Barron’s thinks the items will be such a hit with holiday shoppers that Swift merch will turn into Target’s equivalent of Costco’s always-sold-out gold bars.)

TikTok shoppers have been posting pictures of near-stampedes as people scramble for Target’s “Wicked” Stanley tumblers.

Target also has extensive plans for in-store activations, exclusive merchandise, and jazzed-up digital encounters, with peppermint ribbons winding through every component.

Target has scheduled three signature events -- in New York City, Atlanta and Dallas -- for guests to immerse themselves in Target Wonderland, featuring shoppable and shareable experiences from Hasbro, Marvel, LEGO and L’Oréal.

A series of Fantastical Forest creatures are also joining the action. That includes bringing Berry, the nine-foot polar bear, to select locations. (He’s also available in the form of a plush toy and matching pajamas.)

There’s a Merry Cherry Chalet for gifts, including Marks & Spencer holiday items, like biscuits and cocoa, and a Candy Cane Corner for edible gifts, including truffles and peppermint bark. The store is also opening Trim the Tree Lot for expanded décor selection.

The Minneapolis-based retailer has retooled its app to match the peppermint theme, incorporating Berry the Bear and falling snow, helping mobile shoppers build lists, find ideas and track down the day’s best deals.

Target’s social media channels will strive to keep the inspiration flowing with ongoing drops and creator-led drives.

While the fourth quarter is a must-win for every retailer, Target is feeling extra pressure. While the company clawed its way back to growth in the most recent quarter, with revenues up 2% and traffic rising 3%, the company also dialed down sales expectations for the full year. Target still expects revenues to be somewhere between flat and 2% higher, but said sales would “likely be in the lower half of that range.”

In recent weeks, the company has lowered prices on thousands of items.