Shopping at Target is its own meme. The running joke on social media is that a person will go into Target for one thing and gleefully leave with a host of items they didn’t intend to buy.
The retailer wants to convey that relatable sentiment in a new marketing campaign, “That Target Feeling,” which depicts the unexpected joy customers can find in its stores. Launching on May 19, the ad resembles a music video, leaning into early-2000s nostalgia while drawing on fans’ real experiences on social media.
Target’s campaign comes as the brand faces challenges including sluggish sales and the fallout from controversy surrounding its Pride merchandise. Its feel-good marketing is an attempt to “connect with consumers in more distinct, relevant and joyful ways,” chief marketing officer Lisa Roath told ADWEEK.
What exactly is that Target feeling? Roath, who has worked at the company since 2006 and became CMO last year, described it as “the emotional uplift from the ease of getting your needs met but also the unexpected joy of finding something new.”
The campaign—developed by Target’s in-house creative team, agency Mythology and director Ibra Ake at production company Somesuch—marries two insights mined from social media: the intense love some consumers have for the brand, and the fact that many are “experiencing joy in smaller moments,” said Roath.
In the video, customers dance and sing in the aisles of a Target store about discovering products including scented candles, plant pots and skin care—all to the catchy tune of Michelle Branch’s 2001 song Everywhere.
Target chose this track for a couple of reasons. One, the remake of Branch’s hit is good fodder for social media, where the brand has “a super-engaged community,” said Roath.
Target is the most followed big-box retailer on TikTok, according to social analytics firm Rival IQ, and has over 50 active daily fan accounts. The ad’s vignettes are based on fans’ stories, while the brand will collaborate with influencers and share user-generated content.
Everywhere is also a peak song from the early 2000s, which is “having a moment on social right now. We want to be part of that,” Roath said. “There’s a reason that consumers are looking to nostalgia for joy and comfort.”
A challenging landscape
Target’s nostalgic ad is a callback to a particular heyday for the retail industry when people talked about getting “retail therapy” and browsing malls was more commonplace.
Since then, the retail landscape has vastly changed. As Roath explained, “the modern shopping journey is no longer linear,” which is why the campaign will be reformatted to run across many different channels, including TV, cinemas, out-of-home, audio, online video and social platforms such as TikTok, Meta and Snapchat.