Kids Keep Running the Show as Target Helps Families Gear Up for Back-to-School
18 July 2016 - 10:11PM
Business Wire
Target puts kids in charge of $5 million
school donation and first, completely kid-created marketing
campaign
This year, Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) is putting kids in charge of
the back-to-school season. Building on the success of its
kid-inspired new Cat & Jack and Pillowfort lines, Target is
relying on kids to direct how it will fund school programs in their
communities and concept, direct and produce its national marketing
campaign
“Kids and families are incredibly important to Target, and just
as parents recognize the potential in their kids, Target does too,”
said Jeff Jones, chief marketing officer, Target. “We were inspired
to work even more closely with kids after seeing the difference
they made in the development of our new Cat & Jack and
Pillowfort lines. Now, we're taking things a step further, allowing
kids to put their mark on Target’s community giving and marketing
campaign for the back-to-school season. Both are not only inspired
by kids, but completely created by kids."
Kid-Directed Giving
In partnership with DonorsChoose.org, a non-profit dedicated to
engaging the public to fund school projects, Target will give up to
$5 million to fund kids’ ideas that help students across the
country live healthier, more active lives. The donation will be the
largest wellness-education related investment in DonorsChoose.org’s
15-year history and could reach up to 200,000 students.
Beginning August 1, kids and their teachers can go to
DonorsChoose.org/Target to submit ideas for their schools. As part
of Target’s commitment to wellness, ideas must be focused on
promoting healthy eating, such as planting a school vegetable
garden, or increasing physical activity by equipping students with
a pedometer. In addition, submitted projects need to cost less than
$1,000 to activate and be able to be completed within the 2016/2017
school year. In partnership with DonorsChoose.org, Target will fund
all ideas that meet the program criteria on an ongoing, first-come
basis. The deadline for submissions is Oct. 1, 2016 or until up to
$5 million has been awarded.
The program will support students in public school classrooms
across the country from kindergarten to 12th grade. It’s just one
example of Target’s ongoing commitment to giving 5 percent of its
profits back to communities, which today equals more than $4
million a week.
First Totally Kid-Created Campaign
Target harnessed the talent of kids for its first kid-created
marketing campaign. Kids led every major aspect of the campaign,
from drafting story boards and scripts and illustrating the
creative, to directing and styling the spots and performing the
music. Target is the first company to empower kids to create a
national marketing campaign of this size and scale.
Target partnered with two non-profit organizations on the
campaign, including 826LA and Adolescent. A group of seven kid
writers, ages 8-11, developed the story boards for each television
commercial, and three kid directors, ages 13, 15 and 17 oversaw the
shoot. On set, Target partnered with a 15 year-old stylist for
creative direction. Girls from the band, L2M, recorded the anthem
song used in the campaign. Seven television commercials ranging
from a pencil drawing of an imaginary world, to new friendships
beginning over a Star Wars lunch box will begin airing on July 17
in local markets. Target also tapped kid illustrators to create
designs that are used in stores and in digital and social marketing
throughout the entire season.
Must-Have Back to School Products and Gear
Just as kids are at the heart of the campaign, they also at the
heart of Target’s product development and selection. In fact, kids
played a key role in the design and development of the new kids’
apparel and accessories line, Cat & Jack. In addition, Target’s
broad assortment and exclusive gear provides kids with the supplies
and style they want for a successful school year. Top products and
trends include:
- Extra-durable, Target exclusive, Embark
backpacks with top-loading zippers and capacity to hold up to five
or six books. New this year, all Embark backpacks and lunch kits
come with a one-year guarantee.
- Cat & Jack is an exclusive new line
of high-quality, stylish and colorful apparel and accessories
developed by Target’s design team with kids’ input in mind.
- Exclusive collection of Puma and
Skechers backpacks and lunch kits.
- Yoobi’s new Back-to-School collection
with Pharrell William’s creative collective, i am OTHER, which
enlisted kids to share which art, words and quotes inspired them to
embrace what makes them unique. The Yoobi x i am OTHER line
features backpacks, journals, folders, lunch bags and more with a
positive message about self-acceptance, individuality and
motivation to meet one’s potential while giving back to those less
fortunate.
- Exclusive DIY collection with YouTube
star Bethany Mota for students to personalize their school supplies
with fun stickers and accessories.
- Pencil pouches, notebooks, backpacks
and lunch kits with favorite movie characters from Finding Dory,
Star Wars and Frozen.
- Top prints including floral patterns,
marble accents and camouflage on everything from notebooks to
backpacks. Trends also include food-inspired designs such as pizza
slices or donuts and supplies and backpacks adorned with emojis,
throwback designs like cassette tapes and fun, inspirational
quotes.
School List Assist
This year, Target has updated the School List Assist tool on
Target.com to make it even easier for parents to shop their kids’
lists. Through a partnership with TeacherList.com, nearly one
million school supply lists will be available directly within the
tool. Parents can quickly and seamlessly purchase all of their
kids’ school supplies and have it sent to their home or they can
pick up their order in a Target store.
About Target:
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) serves guests
at 1,792 stores and at Target.com. Since 1946, Target has given 5
percent of its profit to communities, which today equals more than
$4 million a week. For more information, visit
Target.com/Pressroom. For a behind-the-scenes look at Target, visit
Target.com/abullseyeview or follow @TargetNews on Twitter.
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Target Public RelationsAngie Thompson, 612-761-4965orTarget
Media Hotline, 612-696-3400
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