(1-21-13)
My thoughts on Target's "Everyday Collection" campaign, by Minneapolis agency mono.
First, check out their new commercial. I love this copy excerpt from the Sunday ad:
Headline: Master Your Domain.
Body: Control is yours for the taking. On each tongue, a daily multivitamin. In each bathroom, a fresh roll. On each hand, a new latex glove. It's your abode. Be anything but humble.
I can't remember the last time doing laundry was sexy. Nor do I recall sporting stilettos as optimal around-the-house wear, especially while cleaning. My saltine crackers have been sexified and I'm infatuated with the concept. All this craziness is brought to you by Target.
Target's "Everyday Collection" has taken bold strides where no retailer (that i can think of) has gone before. Minneapolis advertising agency mono won this work recently and they've done a fantastic job. The concept is brilliant, the art direction is clever and the copy is delicious. It's thrilling to see how a fresh eye can introduce a well-established brand into exciting new places (without compromising what that brand already is).
Some will disagree with me (including some mothers), but I think this campaign works. I was delighted to see something different in my Sunday mailer.
Sure, it's larger than life. Yes, it's not necessarily a valid reflection of cleaning the bathroom. But, this campaign isn't about practicality. It's a celebration. On purpose. It transforms lackluster to-do lists and weekly routine into a glamorous spectacle.
Why didn't anyone think of this sooner? We skate through so many tasks that we have to do in order to get to the good stuff. The stuff we want to do. Or maybe, in your case, it's escaping into a few minutes of uninterrupted solitude. Many of us say, If only I had time to do this or that, I'd be so much happier.
I hear it gets harder once you enter parenthood. See, I want to be a mom someday, but I'm not necessarily thrilled about parts of it, nor do I love the associated stereotypes. The career you poured x-amount of money and energy into dwindles. Your hair that once turned heads is now a functional bob. Your time is no longer yours. It's spent at PTA meetings. Scrubbing stains off clothes. Packing lunches. It's all stuff that sounds seemingly... mundane.
It had me thinking. It sure would be nice if we could all just enjoy where we're at, even the less interesting parts, if we have to do it anyway.
Say for instance, if I'm baking a cake, why (shot in the dark here) can't my Pillsbury cake mix erupt with a fantastic explosion of neon dust? Oh wait, it can. Target showed me this on TV. The commercial whispers, "dominate the PTA bake sale" with baking mixes so good, they're strut-worthy. I want in on this party!
The "Everyday Collection" not only stole my attention, it demanded it. I'm not a mother yet, but I found myself daydreaming about it, taking the Target aisles by storm with a purpose, shouting "I'm a woman mother, hear me roar!"
Target captures the "everyday" life of motherhood in a really kick ass way. Ask a mother if she has the best job in the world and she'll usually respond, yes. She knows it's the best kind of responsibility. Sometimes she might just need to be reminded. Much like any job we love, there's never a perfect day, and there's bound to be at least one aspect we aren't crazy about. Me? I'm doing exactly what I've dreamed of doing. Advertising copywriting. But that doesn't mean it doesn't come with its hiccups. It's never going to be an ideal job. Just one I love enough to look past the not-so-sunny parts.
A mother's ninja skills and dedication to her loved ones are often taken for granted. She selflessly gives of herself to bless her children with better, putting her loved ones needs before her own. She might not feel as "sexy” as she used to. But that’s according to the stereotypes the world deems "sexy".
Some might see the ads as ridiculous fashion shows that are in no way equal to representing motherhood. I see it as a metaphor for the American mother, glorifying her for what she already does well (or wants to do) in a way that most people respond to when they think “sexy” — displayed for the masses by an extremely influential brand. In these ads, mothers are portrayed larger than life. They are Fierce, Bold and Savvy. How empowering to know someone is on their side.
I close with this, hopefully at one time or another we have felt on top of the world. Many times this is a result of doing something really well. I imagine, mothers find great satisfaction in learning to blossom in that calling. It’s not just advancing the corporate ladder or finding a man worthy of her left ring finger that gives her that confident, sexy glow. It’s the deeper calling of motherhood, and the talent she finds within herself to successfully raise her very own, that ought to make any woman feel, well, sexy.