Walmart Hopes Black Friday Shoppers Binge Ten-Episode Ad Campaign That Emulates TV Favorites

Walmart hopes customers see its next ad campaign as something more along the lines of a TV series rather than a TV commercial.

The retailing giant hopes to get consumers in the mood for Black Friday deals with a ten-part “series” of commercials that talk up great bargains that are available at its stores. Walmart has tapped actors including Taye Diggs, Lisa Rinna, Ian Somerhalder, Anthony Ramos, Chad Michael Murray Jake Shane and Walton Goggins to take part in vignettes that are likely to remind viewers of video favorites such as “Bridgerton,” “Yellowstone,” “Friday Night Lights” or “Vampire Diaries.”

Each ad contains a sneak preview of the next in the series, and also highlights a Black Friday offer. The first piece in the series, a preview of the campaign, is expected to surface Monday.

“The holidays are an incredibly busy time of year for people and an incredibly cluttered time of year for advertisers,” says William White, chief marketing officer of Walmart U.S., during an interview. “To stand out at Black Friday and get our customers excited about deals, we are focusing on breakthrough creative that sparks conversation and sparks engagement.” Each ad will tout various deals for such items as an Apple iPhone 13 or a Jessica Simpson women’s puffer coat.

Walmart is tweaking its Black Friday strategy. In recent years, it has tried to capture attention by reuniting actors from the hit “Mean Girls” or the cult favorite “Office Space.” This year, says White, executives are betting that the emulations of their favorite series will be recognized even more quickly.

“We see that our customers love chapter-based storytelling. It has resonated with them,” White says. “We are tapping genres that are always popular with talent that people are excited about.”

The retailer intends to place the ads in highly-visible places – and not just on TV. The spots will appear in prominent areas on both Tik Tok and YouTube, says White, and Walmart has commissioned special out-of-home advertising in places like New York and Los Angeles that will look very similar to billboard and signs that tout the debut of a new TV program.

Walmart needs to capture attention. “I would say the fourth quarter is a very big part of our business,” White says. “The holidays are a very big part of our business.” The weeks leading up to Black Friday have always been jammed with offers of deals and ad campaigns that seek to push shoppers to stores. The period has become even more intense with the introduction of a new “Black Friday” NFL game from Amazon Prime Video. Last year’s inaugural match included commercials from Google, Carnival Cruises, Hasbro, Bose and Columbia Sportswear.