Carly Rae Jepsen And Target Team Up For Celebrity Endorsement Ad Debuted At Grammy's

The Pop Singer And Department Store Release New Ad

During the Grammy's, Target debuted their new ad featuring Carly Rae Jepsen and rapper Lil Yachty. In the explosively choreographed ad, the typically low-key department store's advertising burst back onto the scene with two celebrity endorsements.

While Target regularly teams up with celebrity designers for in-house lines, they haven't featured a celebrity in their ads for quite a while. In this blog, Hollywood Branded looks at how Target successfully leveraged two celebrities in this celebrity endorsement ad featuring Carly Rae Jepsen and Lil Yachty, and resurrects an old campaign icon from the past - Bullseye the Target dog.

The Ad

The ad begins with a young man checking out at Target, purchasing a vinyl record of Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock's "It Takes Two" hit. As we hear the beeps of other registers ringing up Target products, we begin to recognize the melody of the original song.

What comes next is a remake of the music video for the original "It Takes Two" complete with dancers, hover boards, virtual reality goggles, and even the Bullseye, the Target mascot dog.

As Lil Yachty sings his own rap over the original beat, we cut to Carly Rae Jepsen singing the original chorus. Debuting a brand new blonde pixie-cut, Carly Rae Jepsen and Lil Yachty duet on top of emoji pillows.

Check out the ad:

Why It Works So Well

The ad works so well because it brings in elements of both past and current trends into the mix, appealing to both younger and older crowds. This strategy has been a great way to make brands' content enjoyable and universally appealing in their ads.

M&M's used a similar strategy when they used Aloe Blacc and Zedd's remix of the classic Sammy Davis Jr. "Candyman" M&M's song in a recent ad campaign. Ads that bring both a modern and reminiscent feel to a brand, paired with celebrity endorsements, can make a huge impact. Read more about the M&M's celebrity endorsement ad in our blog post. 

Social Media Amplification

The ad itself wasn't all the brand did to make the most of their celebrity endorsement ad. They teased the ad leading up to its premiere during the Grammy's with Tweets previewing the ad itself and urging viewers to check it out.

They also teamed up with Klondike for the ad, releasing a series of social media messages in tandem with the ice cream bar brand, further expanding the reach of their celebrity initiative.

And finally, after the ad aired, they amplified the ad with Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat posts about it.

This is one of the most important parts of a celebrity endorsement. The endorsement alone makes a big impact; however it is the amplification of those assets after the fact that makes the endorsement have the biggest impact possible.

Could Celebrity Endorsement Ads Boost Your Brand?

Before you spend another dollar on traditional advertising, consider how you can leverage the power of celebrities as part of your marketing campaigns. Our video provides answers to combat common advertising challenges marketers face daily.