Target’s 58th Grammy Awards activation continued its wider objective of making memorable pop-culture moments by partnering with Gwen Stefani on her ‘This Is What The Truth Feels Like’ album launch that had an innovative four-minute live music experience at its centre.
The music video for Stefani’s new single ‘Make Me Like You’ was unveiled on a sound stage (close by, but not actually inside the award ceremony theatre) during a commercial ad block during the CBS Grammys telecast.
The stage was built to ape the retailer’s famous bulls-eye logo.
A musical ad experience that was the first time a live music video had been filmed in real time.
The US retailer amplified its Stefani partnership with initiative-relevant content rolled out across a variety of platforms from Twitter and Snapchat, to Periscope and Facebook Live.
The live feed of the music video, as well as behind the scenes clips and shots were shared on a Snapchat story, while the entire ran on Periscope and Facebook Live streams.
It was initially trailed socially,
It's the commercial break you won't want to miss: @GwenStefani Live Music Video 2.15.16 on CBS. #MoreMusichttps://t.co/g4iLncWhVP
— Target (@Target) February 15, 2016
You got this @gwenstefani! #MoreMusic https://t.co/mCiiLbRkzr
— Target (@Target) February 14, 2016
and then streamed live on Periscope (with a behind-the-scenes GRAMMYs experience),
Watch us create @GwenStefani's new video LIVE today at 8:45pm CT on CBS w/ a rad #Periscope view inside! #MoreMusic pic.twitter.com/6zAvWJMVct
— Target (@Target) February 15, 2016
Tonight on #Periscope we're *literally* taking you inside @GwenStefani's LIVE music video. Don't miss it! #MoreMusic pic.twitter.com/d48g21lIK8
— Target (@Target) February 16, 2016
LIVE on #Periscope: GO INSIDE as @GwenStefani makes music video magic right now! #MoreMusic #MakeMeLikeYou https://t.co/ZxCc7wrYAl
— Target (@Target) February 16, 2016
and the partnership also unfolded on Snapchat.
It was then further amplified post-event.
DID YOU SEE @GWENSTEFANI LIVE?! Wanna watch again or loop forever? It'll be up on Gwen's Vevo in no time #MoreMusichttps://t.co/gUWf148PF3
— Target (@Target) February 16, 2016
This multi-channel social activation strand – which spanned exclusive content and behind-the-scenes access – aimed to enrich the engagement experience and maximise reach.
The partnership is further supported by event-related media partnership promotions: including those with Todrick Hall,
Entertainment Tonight,
as well as across the official Grammys promotional platforms too.
Stefani herself also posted the actually track on her Vevo/YouTube channel immediately after the event.
The new album, This Is What The Truth Feels Like, is exclusively available from the retailer with four extra tracks.
Comment
Perhaps slightly surprisingly for a mainstream, mass market US retailer, Target is increasingly building a reputation as an advertising innovator as it seeks to re-establish its top tier US retailer brand status.
Indeed, this leverage campaign for its partnership with The Recording Academy (the Grammy Awards property owner) is a key part of Target’s ongoing #MoreMusic campaign – which is the centrepiece of the retailers ambition to ensure it is a key pillar in the music industry and its retail landscape.
Part of the contemporary trend for capitalising on live TV events, this year’s campaign follows neatly in the footsteps of its 2015 Grammys work which saw Target ally with Imagine Dragons and run the first ever live commercial on US television (see previous case study).
This is an expensive activation for Target: whilst costs haven’t been officially disclosed, industry experts estimate (despite a slightly sip in TV audience for the music industry’s flagship event) that 30-second spots during the Grammys cost around $1m making a four-minute ad buy worth as much as $8m.
‘This Is What the Truth Feels Like’ is Stefani’s third studio album and is official released on 18 March.
The partnership with the singer follows on from the Target/Sefani Harajuku Mini clothing line collaboration in 2011.
Links
Target Twitter:
Target Website:
Target Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/target
Target Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/target/
Target Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/target
The Grammys Website:
The Grammys Twitter:
https://twitter.com/TheGRAMMYs
@TheGRAMMYs
