Dive Brief:
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In a high-risk but potentially captivating move, Target Corp. is sponsoring an unprecedented four-minute-long live television performance featuring Gwen Stefani during the Grammy Awards show Monday.
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Stefani, whose first solo album in a decade will be released next month, already has a relationship with the retailer. They collaborated on the retailer’s Harajuku Mini clothing line for kids from 2011 to 2014.
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A 30-second T.V. ad spot cost $952,000 during the Grammys two years ago, according to Kantar Media, but it’s hard to say how that translates to Target’s costs for a four-minute video.
Dive Insight:
Live television is on a bit of a roll these days, with NBC broadcasting live the all-African-American take on the Wizard of Oz, the Wiz! in December and Fox showing the 1971 musical “Grease” live last month.
Of course, live television is always a risk, but this move could be a nice attention-getter for Target, which has been on the comeback trail and is largely succeeding in its turnaround.
"It's definitely risky, but the upside is you really create a stir," Brandcenter marketing professor Kelly O’Keefe told the Associated Press. "Whether or not they get that upside will depend on how good the music segment is.”