Off Target
| QuickTime link to the :30 commercial, which will pop in a new window. Around 1MB. |
![]() |
|
| Salvador Dali’s lost experimental film |
I like a lot of the Target ads currently out. A few of them are a little too weird. This is one of them.
Target did a great job repositioning themselves with their stylish, color-coordinated marketing campaign. It might have single-handedly saved them from the ninth ring of hell fate that befell Kmart. But this seems like campaign-fatigue, a sort of hideous distortion of the original vision that is so off base it scarcely resembles the original tone and style.
This spot, like a few others, drifts too far into the weird, or just too far into the color-coordination theme, and becomes a pile of monotonal, non-sequitur vomit.
The color scheme here makes me nauseous, and I have conferred with several completely real eye doctors who say it can cause blindness if watched more then 3 times in a row. The dancing costumes are the kind of retro advertising that was banished to hell for very specific reasons. Basically I submit to you that Target was messing with the forces of hell when they made this television spot.
![]() |
|
| Stop stalling, get in the blender |
This spot strays too far from the chic of the more successful spots. It verges on the hipness levels of an Old Navy spot, which are exactly zero.
Some other Target spots are even weirder, making me wonder if they signed on David Lynch to help them out. He makes great film and TV, but his style might not be the most fit for a thirty second commercial..unless Target is trying to sell an alternate dream dimension where your mom is a midget biker and your dad is a protagonist who keeps changing appearance while he’s trying to chase you down to swap your feet with dogs’ heads.
This commercial looks like a GAP ad campaign ran out of gas on the train tracks and a Mexican variety show train carrying cars full of LSD smashed into the stranded vehicle. There were no survivors.
Once again I am out of filler run-on sentences. Watch the link and enjoy!
| QuickTime link to the :30 commercial, which will pop in a new window. Around 1MB. |







Comment // September 20th, 2005 // 12:03 am
Contrary to this the opinion submitted 3/14/05, regarding Target. The shoppers that frequent other retailers tend to take time out to visit even shop at Target. Many want to experience that prestigious retro excitement of color and visual activity to wake up the dull and limited experience of shopping in other stores. Target stores are arranged in a manner that supports the commercials. This provides the shopper with ideas while stimulating considerations for future purchases. Yes, my family appreciates Target for their liveliness and that is something that should never be “banished to hell,” as so rudely stated in the commentary listed above.
Comment // September 20th, 2005 // 6:48 pm
I only said people in giant inanimate-object-costumes should be banished to hell.
Disliking color schemes can be very specific issues to different people. Please don’t take my harsh words about such a light subject so seriously. Disliking a color scheme used in a commrcial doesn’t mean I hate people who shop at Target, lighten up.
Pingback // February 12th, 2006 // 10:47 am
[...] Awful Commercials dot com TargetI like a lot of the Target ads currently out. A few of them are a little too weird. This is one of Print Radio The Internet Viral Marketing Banner Ads Memes Campaigns Retro Super Bowl Ads Followup News Audio [...]