Target Builds a Haunted House on YouTube

In advance of this year’s celebration of Halloween, Target's in-house creative team launched a haunted virtual-reality experience via YouTube to spotlight a wide array of seasonal product.Living across a series of videos dubbed “The House on Hallow Hill,” the experience includes an introductory scene (see video below) and several vignettes shot within a mansion filled with Halloween decor, candy, costumes and other shoppable product. Viewers tilt and turn their phone screens (or grab and drag their desktop screens) to explore 360-degree views of creepy scenes taking place in various rooms of the mansion. A shop button links to target.com e-commerce pages corralling the items — many of which are exclusive — depicted in each of the rooms."There's a particular group that's just fanatical around Halloween," senior vice president of media, guest engagement and measurement at Target Kristi Argyilan told Advertising Age, indicating that the experience is targeted at those Halloween enthusiasts. "There's a lot of pressure for them to decorate in what we call an epic sort of way. They also are incredibly busy, so their ability to execute Halloween in a way they'd want to is difficult."Mars Inc. dominates digital ad activity on the e-commerce pages, with multiple display ads spotlighting brands such as Dove, M&M’s and Snickers. The ads link to a target.com brand showcase under the retailer's recurring “Fright Done Right” slogan, highlighting seasonal products including exclusive M&M’s and Dove SKUs. Other ads link to a cornucopia of Cartwheel ads for manufacturer’s candy brands. Some of the e-commerce page views also depict a display ad from Mondelez International linking to a seasonal shop for the manufacturer.The digital spotlight carries through to the store, with upfront endcaps as well as those in the seasonal department highlighting the aforementioned exclusive SKUs as well as other account-specific confectionery from brands including Hershey Co.’s Reese’s. For the first time this year, entire endcaps are also dedicated to gluten-free product as part of Target’s ongoing grocery overhaul. Table displays of costume accessories invite shoppers to “share your costume creation” online with a #targetfun hashtag.The retailer’s seasonal campaign also includes circular features, local TV and radio spots, social media activity, and display ads on websites such as kptv.com.In additional digital activity, Target on Oct. 26 plans to launch a “Treatster” mobile website that uses Google Maps' API to help parents map the best trick-or-treating routes for their children. Developed by agency 360i, the site will crowdsource information from parents, letting them up-vote the best houses to hit for Halloween.

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