Walmart Launches First Fully Shoppable RomCom Series
Walmart is combining two classic traditions this holiday season with the launch of its latest digital campaign: shopping and watching romantic comedies.
The retail giant has introduced “Add to Heart,” a 23-part shoppable commercial series that provides consumers with holiday gifting inspiration through the storytelling stylings of a modern-day RomCom.
Walmart calls “Add to Heart” a first-of-its-kind “RomCommerce” experience for its shoppers. It will start being released on TikTok, Roku and YouTube starting Dec. 2, with the remainder dropping Dec. 5 and Dec. 8, per a media release. Consumers will also be able to watch the series on Walmart’s own social media channels and shop the collections showcased via a dedicated shop within the retailer’s website (Walmart.com/AddToHeart).
According to research from Mintel, cited by Walmart, nearly 60% of Americans say they are looking to make a purchase via social media this year. Walmart says it took that stat and combined it with the fact that Americans rank watching holiday movies over decorating the tree and baking cookies as one of their favorite holiday traditions, according to a survey commissioned by global streaming media platform Plex and OnePoll.
The result of the research for Walmart is the “Add to Heart” series, which the retailer says is also TikTok’s first fully shoppable holiday series. With TikTok’s Video Shopping Ads, and Roku’s “Ok to Text” feature, the series enables customers to shop from wherever they are. Roku users can access the series through Walmart’s first shoppable branded entertainment playlist and a marquee ad on the Roku home screen.
More than 330 items will be featured and shoppable via the series, spanning furniture, holiday decor, fashion and other items seen alongside the entire cast. Additionally, almost all the items from “Add to Heart” were sourced from Walmart.
The series follows New York designer Jessica as she returns to her hometown for the holidays. After losing her luggage while traveling, she visits her local Walmart, where she bumps into an old flame, Javi. Between the town festivities, decorating and shopping, they start to rekindle their spark.
“We know gifting and curling up to watch a favorite Christmas movie are part of so many families’ traditions,” William White, chief marketing officer, Walmart U.S., said in the release. “So, what better time to launch an innovative, first-of-its-kind shoppable series? ‘Add to Heart’ is a fun, unique way for our customers to be entertained while shopping for the great deals on top brands that they expect from Walmart.”
Shoppable commercial content like “Add to Heart” is just one example of how Walmart is innovating to shorten the distance from gifting inspiration to purchase. Other recent activity included pilots with NBCUniversal’s Peacock and Roku, TikTok and TalkShopLive.
