Kmart ad campaign in high gear for holidays

Discount Store News, Nov 17, 1997 by Laura Liebeck

NATIONWIDE DSN REPORT -- The upcoming holiday season has kicked Kmart's advertising program into high gear, with the retailer's celebrity names and Big Kmart moniker as the star attractions on TV and in circulars and ROP programs.

Coming for the holiday season are three new Rosie O'Donnell and Penny Marshall spots, picking up where the retailer's two-week celebrity/Big K effort ended.

Also promoting Christmas will be a "Reward Yourself" sweepstakes, which will reward lucky credit card holders with prizes, including a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo and a cruise. The sweepstakes runs from Nov. 2 to Dec. 31. Kmart credit card users are automatically entered into the each time they make a purchase with their Kmart credit cards. This program is not being advertised on TV, but it was been included in a recent circular and in-store signs explain the promotion to consumers.

New for Kmart this fall was a three-pronged approach to advertising highlighting the Big K format. The retailer produced both 30-second and 60-second TV commercials targeted to African-American and Hispanic consumers that ran concurrently with its national Big Kmart commercial. These spots -- aired from Oct. 28 to Nov. 12 -- ran in select markets nationwide and marked the first time that Kmart ever developed three separate TV ads with a single message.

The strategy behind the Big K commercials was to showcase the new and improved store and its bigger and better merchandise assortment, as well as promote the personalities associated with Kmart. The national Big K spot featured all of Kmart's celebrity spokespeople: Martha Stewart, Jaclyn Smith, Kathy Ireland, Roger Penske, Big Bird and the Muppets, plus Marshall and O'Donnell and a guest appearance by Bob Hope. The spots aired in 20 select markets beginning Oct. 26.

Both the African-American and Hispanic versions of the commercial featured music and images relevant to those groups.

"Kmart wants to build on our urban presence and demonstrate our commitment to our African-American and Hispanic customers," said Larry Davis, Kmart's vp of advertising. "Developing commercials that speak directly to these valued customers will help us make this important marketing and merchandising connection."

Despite the limited initial run, all three commercials will be used again, said Kmart spokeswoman Mary Lorencz. They will be aired after the new year in appropriate markets where stores get converted to the Big K format.

The Big K commercials were aired to coincide with the recent wave of new Big K openings. Kmart opened about 100 new Big Ks on Nov. 16, including the 20 former Venture stores in Houston. These openings bring Big K's total to about 750 stores. Next year, Kmart will convert or build 500 more Big K stores for a yearend total exceeding 1,200 units.

The next wave of Big K openings is scheduled for April when another 125 units come on line, Lorencz said.

The November Big K ad drive targeted to African-American markets was produced by Don Coleman Advertising -- the company's first effort for Kmart since becoming the agency of record last May. The Coleman spots were aired in Detroit, Chicago, Miami, Washington, Los Angeles and Jacksonville, Fla., on the WB and Fox network affiliate stations. The commercials were aired during shows including "Living Single," "The Jamie Foxx Show" and "Moesha."

Unlike the national Big K and Hispanic market campaigns, the African-American spots ran for two days longer than the other two, from Oct. 26 to Nov. 12.

The Hispanic Big K spots aired Oct. 28 to Nov. 12 in Chicago, New York, Miami and Los Angeles on Univision and Telemundo affiliate stations on programs including "Despierta America," "Tutti Fruitti" and "Primer Impacto." They were produced by Castor Advertising, which has worked with Kmart since 1992. These spots were produced in Spanish for Spanish-speaking consumers.