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Dive Brief:
- Macy’s on Monday launched a holiday campaign that stars actress Alison Brie and centers on the retailer’s annual gift guide, per a company news release.
- Known for starring roles in “Glow” and “Community,” Brie portrays the “Macy’s Gift Guide,” an expert gift curator. In its first commercial, Brie is wearing a Macy’s tailored red jacket adorned with the brand’s red stars, and actor Matt Bush plays the role of her mentee.
- The campaign, shot by award-winning director Stacy Wall, will air on TV, digital and social channels, including YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
Dive Insight:
The Macy’s Gift Guide campaign will highlight different gifting moments, Black Friday deals and last-minute gifting throughout December, per the company.
“The campaign celebrates the joy of giving and creating lasting memories this holiday season,” Sharon Otterman, chief marketing officer at Macy’s, said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to bring this campaign to life with Alison, who perfectly embodies the spirit and joy of Macy’s and the holiday season.”
The Macy’s campaign kicks off as major competitors battle for holiday dollars in the critically important fourth quarter. Old Navy is running stylized holiday house party ads featuring singer Jennifer Hudson, while Urban Outfitters is highlighting budget-friendly gift ideas in its holiday campaign. Both Walmart and J.C. Penney are leveraging campaigns this season that play off pop culture moments and emotional feelings of nostalgia.
Macy’s needs a strong finish to the year after reporting sales declines in recent quarters. The retailer saw a 3.8% year-over-year decline in net sales for Q2, reaching $4.9 billion.
The department store brought on new CEO Tony Spring in February of this year. Soon after he took the helm, Spring announced Macy’s would shutter 150 of its underperforming stores over the next three years, with 50 of those set to shutter this year.
Under Spring, Macy’s has been reimagining its executive team. Last month, the retailer brought on Jason Holzman as its senior vice president of creative and production. Holzman’s background includes 17 years at NBCUniversal, including at Peacock. At his hiring, the company said his role was “designed to drive new, effective, breakthrough campaigns and ensure more integrated ways of storytelling across all channels.”
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Howard Ruben, Khareem Sudlow
