Walmart’s Dr. Seuss-themed holiday marketing is getting a boost from the Grinch as the effort enters its second phase ahead of Black Friday, per details shared with Marketing Dive. The big-box store previously teased appearances from the infamous green grump, and on Monday announced Walton Goggins will be filling his shoes for the “WhoKnewVille” campaign. Goggins, who makes his on-screen debut as the Grinch in a new social video, previously led spots launching Walmart’s larger “Who Knew?” platform focused on changing perceptions of the retailer.
Putting Goggins in a starring seasonal role not only builds on the existing equity of “Who Knew?,” but also responds to social media chatter among fans who view the “White Lotus” actor — known for portraying mischievous characters — as an ideal fit for the part. “WhoKnewVille” extends Walmart’s strategy of orienting more of its holiday advertising around pop culture touchstones to drive relevance while highlighting services like its mobile app and membership program Walmart+.
“The notion of nostalgia obviously helps us appeal to the customer in a more emotional way, but it also allows us to do a lot of the strategy and business-driving components of the work that we need to do,” said David Hartman, vice president of creative at Walmart. Hartman added that recognizable figures like the Grinch “help [Walmart] open the door of attention for our customers” during a crowded period for retail marketing.
Goggin’s snarky take on the Grinch takes the reins in a long-form ad that is running as a YouTube masthead and will appear in shorter cutdowns. In the brand film, “WhoKnewVille” protagonist Mindy Lou Who scales Mt. Crumpit in search of a partner who can raise awareness for Walmart’s Black Friday deals. The Grinch takes some convincing, but the pair, accompanied by dog sidekick Max, eventually descend on the titular town of WhoKnewVille to covertly leave gifts under Christmas trees, courtesy of Walmart. Mishaps occur along the way, with the Grinch getting caught by a kid who mistakes him for Santa Claus and stepping on a Lego piece.
Stephanie Beatriz, another actor from the first batch of “Who Knew?” ads, is also slotted to make an appearance as the mayor of WhoKnewVille, according to Hartman. The celebrity studded creative follows previous “WhoKnewVille” ads that have gained traction with consumers, including an introductory spot that has accrued more than 9 million YouTube views as of press time.
“We’ve found through our campaigns over time that long-form content actually performs really well for Walmart,” said Hartman.
Building a unified brand world
Along with the narrative-driven videos, the Grinch will show up in Walmart media placements including a Times Square takeover that sees the creature’s fuzzy mitts stretch across multiple billboards to spotlight Black Friday deals on products including the Nintendo Switch 2, JBL speakers and Vizio TVs. In addition, the Dr. Seuss icon will disrupt upcoming NFL broadcasts, though Walmart didn’t share further details on the integrations. Walmart’s holiday promotions this year come in three phases: an early Black Friday event that ended Nov. 16, a Black Friday push from Nov. 25-30 and Cyber Monday deals arriving Dec. 1.
“We’re trying to be really inventive about the tactics and how we tell the stories and do it in a way that feels like it’s differentiated for Walmart,” said Hartman. “The plan of slowly introducing the campaign to the customer is not a new thing. I think what is new this year is that we have a really tight, unified world of both WhoKnewVille, as well as the role of the Grinch.”
Publicis Groupe agencies Fallon, Leo NY, The Community, Contender and Digitas helped develop “WhoKnewVille.” The campaign was also made in collaboration with Dr. Seuss Enterprises.
The broader “Who Knew?” platform aims to change the way people see Walmart by highlighting the big-box store’s wide-ranging product assortment, the convenience of express delivery and the benefits of Walmart+, an Amazon Prime competitor. Walmart so far has seen a positive reception to the campaign, which received a shout-out on a recent earnings call.
“I think the team is particularly excited about the messaging,” said Walmart U.S. President and CEO John Furner, who will take on the company’s top job starting in February, on the call. “What we were obviously hoping to do was help people see Walmart a bit differently and help explain to people that may not know … that we have such a broad assortment, which would include our stores, our first-party commerce business and marketplace.”
