Target misses the target with Halloween ad

Target really missed the target with this Halloween ad. The ad portrays a Mom and son getting ready for Halloween, it’s obvious that she made the “Iron Man” costume and the kid seems unhappy about that. Target then shows they sell an Iron Man costume you can buy at Target.

Each year at Halloween makers and crafters create *the* amazing costumes you see all over the internet, none of them are store-bought. You will not see a single winner of any Halloween contest with a costume bought from Target.

Discouraging parents from making a costume and spending time with their kids isn’t good for anyone. Using advertising to convince kids that homemade isn’t as good as store bought isn’t good either. We are what we celebrate, Target could celebrate something better.

Target does great work in the community, arts, education – it’s likely why this ad seems off brand for them.

Besides, the Mom version in the ad is better than the Target one – her’s lights up on the chest and has a light on the arm (the Target one is a soulless plastic bib).

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2 Comments

  1. I agree, they could have made it better, for example mom buying all the materials from target and then making a cool costume at home, but then not everyone is a maker 🙂

  2. Oh man, that just sends an awful message.

    New Halloween policy at my house: any kid who arrives trick-or-treating in a home-crafted costume, no matter how dreadful, gets double treats. Maybe triple.

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