Walmart: Nostalgia-Themed Black Friday Deals

For this ultra-competitive Black Friday discount season, Walmart brought back several actors from the classic movie “Mean Girls” to adapt and incorporate iconic moments and dialog from the film into the campaign ads for this holiday season promotion.

Reuniting the cast of movies is not an innovative move, but it indeed boost Walmart’s Black Friday push so far and is a brilliant idea to me as a loyal audience of the movie for many reasons.

Nostalgia and Pop Culture Appeal:

“Mean Girls” is a cult classic and remains highly popular with a dedicated fan base, includes me. Reuniting the cast and recreate iconic scenes and dialogues from the movie tap into the nostalgia and pop culture appeal of the film, drawing the attention of fans who have fond memories of the movie, and ultimately makes Walmart more relative to a wider audience.

Media Attention and Virality:

Such a campaign would likely garner significant media attention and social media buzz. News of a cast reunion is likely to spread rapidly on social platforms, generating organic virality and excitement. The influence of fan culture may also boost sales.

Increased Engagement:

The campaign leads to increased engagement on Walmart’s social media channels and website. Fans of the movie are eager to see the reunion and are willing to share the content, further amplifying its reach. Engagement help building positive customer relationships and increase UGA through interactions because people who have watched the movie are likely to feel a personal connection to Walmart, thus they are more likely to make purchases.

Differentiation:

Reuniting the cast of a beloved film sets Walmart apart from competitors. It provides a unique marketing angle that can make the brand stand out during the crowded holiday shopping season.

Cross-Promotion Opportunities:

The cast reunion could be an opportunity for further cross-promotion. For example, the ad brings back a memorable line from the movie “Some things never change. On Wednesdays, we still wear pink”. Walmart could then promote relative exclusive “Mean Girls” merchandise or limited-time discounts in conjunction.

Increases Awareness:

I noticed that this collaboration also increases Walmart’s awareness among a younger demographic who are fans of “Mean Girls” but may not typically associate Walmart with their shopping habits. In this case, they are more likely add Walmart to their shopping list for this Black Friday Sale.

Above all, I think this campaign will be able to attract more customers in this holiday sale season, and I am excited for the new creatives that will drop every Wednesday in November and on Cyber Monday. However, the overall success of such a campaign needs to be backed up by data. I will keep an eye on it.