# Adventurous Christmas Ads This Target Christmas Ad Involves a Magical Tree-Lighting Story By Christopher Magsambol | Published 2015-11-13 | Updated 2015-11-19 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/target-christmas-ad References: [adweek](http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/targets-holiday-campaign-brings-magical-story-life-across-tv-digital-and-its-stores-168113) & [youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKO2nN28X4Q&feature=youtu.be) This Target Christmas ad tells the first chapter of a magical and whimsical journey involving three kids and their quest to light a Christmas tree. Rather than settling for a few isolated ad spots, Target has decided to create a number of 60 second spots, all of which form a single narrative. This video is the first installment and sees children transported to a magical world, where they are greeted by characters like Barbie, Minions, Elmo and LEGO people. As they approach a tree lighting ceremony, something goes wrong and volunteers are needed to light the massive tree. The spot ends with the kids frightfully taking the job. In an innovative marketing campaign, Target is able to draw viewers in using traditional tropes of Christmas narratives. By doing this, the same whimsy and magic seen in the ads become synonymous with the retailer. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.0/10 - Popularity: 11% | Activity: 42% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Gen Alpha, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Media](https://www.trendhunter.com/media) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Interactive Christmas Ads:** Creating interactive and immersive Christmas ads that engage viewers in a narrative storyline, like Target's magical tree-lighting story, can disrupt traditional advertising methods. - **Serialized Ad Campaigns:** Developing serialized ad campaigns with multiple installments that form a cohesive narrative can captivate audiences and generate increased brand engagement, as demonstrated by Target's ongoing 60-second spot series. - **Branding Through Emotional Connection:** Building a strong brand association by evoking feelings of whimsy, magic, and tradition in Christmas ads can establish a lasting emotional connection with consumers, similar to Target's use of traditional Christmas tropes. ### Who This Affects Most - **Retail:** Retailers can capitalize on immersive and interactive Christmas ad experiences to create memorable and engaging brand interactions, fostering increased customer loyalty and sales. - **Advertising:** The advertising industry can embrace the concept of serialized ad campaigns to captivate audiences and create a buzz around brand messaging, leading to enhanced campaign effectiveness. - **Entertainment:** The entertainment industry can explore collaborations with brands to create magical and engaging narratives that resonate with viewers, fostering cross-promotion opportunities and brand integration. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Iconic Character-Inspired Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/etsys-christmas-ad.md) - [Community-Focused Christmas Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/real-magic-at-christmas-campaign.md) - [Fashion Brand Christmas Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chanel-winter-tale.md) - [Emotionally Engaging Holiday Advertisements](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-power-of-wishes.md) - [Sentimental Holiday Ad Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/joy-is-made.md) - [Festive Carnivorous Plant Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/snapper-the-perfect-tree.md) - [Whimsical Candle Christmas Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/make-it-more-magical-campaign.md) - [Holiday Retail Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/whoknewville.md) - [Emotional Holiday Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/john-lewis-2025.md)