Target debuts weirdly hot Santa for second holiday advertising push [Video]

Dive Brief:

• Target has unveiled a second holiday marketing campaign, introducing a fictional store team member named Kris, who acts as a modernized take on a Christmas icon, per details shared with sister publication Marketing Dive. 
• Kris appears in new spots to help customers with tasks like picking out a Thanksgiving turkey. The character, a beefy take on Santa Claus who wears a tight-fitting red zip-up and closely cropped silver hair, is described by one shopper as “weirdly hot.”  
• “Kris from Target” formally launches Sunday with a media plan spanning social, TV, streaming and short-form video. Target will lean on the messaging platform around upcoming shopping occasions like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Dive Insight:

Target is taking an unusual approach for the holidays, running two distinct marketing campaigns for the first time. The strategy was informed by consumer insights that …