Share
On Friday, Target announced the launch of a hurriedly composed advertising campaign entitled “Pride After Dark” aimed at promoting its original 2023 Pride-themed clothing line, but only after conservatives have gone to sleep.
Target’s decision to downsize (and downplay) its Pride sections in many of its stores across the country has continued to draw blowback from the LGBTQ community who see the decision as a capitulation to conservative voices.
“Our research indicates that most conservatives way over-index on being early birds, and so we feel like this is the perfect compromise. We roll out the Pride racks around 9:15 every night, long after most Fox News watchers have turned out the lights and gone to bed. At that point—and all the way up to closing—our stores basically turn into Pride parties,” Chief Marketing Officer Sandra Smith told SN.
When pressed on whether Mrs. Smith thought this was the response the LGBTQ community was looking for, she furrowed her brow and nodded earnestly.
“We think so, we really do. Because at the end of the day, we still have pride! And with only three weeks left in June, we’re running out of time and ways to authentically demonstrate our support and commitment to the community…while also ensuring the right-wingers don’t find out about it.”
Mrs. Smith added that the campaign—which was created in Canva—was deployed across multiple social media ad platforms earlier this week, in conjunction with the unorthodox hours of the apparel line.
“We opted for a flighted media plan with a heavy up times at nights and between the hours of 7 am and noon on Sundays.”
