Dive Brief:
- Target launched a new national brand campaign, “Inside Out,” that focuses on its customers and iconic red shopping bags, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
- The effort includes 30- and 15-second spots that will run across broadcast, streaming, radio, digital and social through Oct. 31. The campaign also features creator partnerships and experiential activations.
- The design-focused “Inside Out” campaign arrives as Target’s turnaround efforts begin to show results. The retailer this month hired former Hilton CMO Mark Weinstein to head marketing and customer experience.
Dive Insight:
Target’s “Inside Out” campaign looks to put design at the center of its marketing, merchandising and customer experience. Ad creative shows a variety of customers — a denim-clad couple, two women sipping matcha lattes, dog owners and families — with their latest Target purchases showing, as if in invisible shopping bags that then materialize.
"Great design has always been about more than the products on our shelves. It's about how Target fits into our guests' lives and helps them express who they are,” Vice President of Creative Scott Swartz said in a statement. “With ‘Inside Out,’ we're putting guests at the center and using something as familiar as the Target bag to tell those stories in a fresh, joyful way.”
The campaign is soundtracked by Raye’s “Joy” and is running between the crucial back-to-school and holiday periods. In the retailer’s latest move around creators, the effort will include “Red Bag Stories” content that focuses on creators and their Target hauls. In addition, “Bagspotting” activations in Boston and Chicago in early October will reward locals holding Target bags with an opportunity to win gift cards. Target will also dole out reusable bags in five cities and two college campuses, per a company blog post.
Target earlier this month showcased its legacy of design with a two-day presentation at the New Museum during New York Fashion Week. Along with classic work by designers including Isaac Mizrahi, the experience allowed guests to customize Target bags. The retailer also launched a collection of style-focused apparel for store associates as part of its recent design push.
Target in March launched a multiyear turnaround plan, making plans for a $1 billion operational investment that includes increased brand marketing. Early results show the effort gaining traction: The retailer in Q2 2026 saw comparable sales jump 3.8% with a 3.6% increase in traffic. To improve how consumers experience and connect with the brand across channels, culture and community, Target this month named Weinstein as its chief marketing and guest experience officer.
