{"id":76464,"date":"2025-11-18T16:47:45","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T16:47:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/?p=76464"},"modified":"2025-11-18T16:47:45","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T16:47:45","slug":"how-walmart-is-deploying-the-grinch-to-boost-holiday-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/how-walmart-is-deploying-the-grinch-to-boost-holiday-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"How Walmart is deploying the Grinch to boost holiday marketing"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech\">\n    <button class=\"text-to-speech__button button\"><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"text-to-speech__button__icon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.retaildive.com\/static\/img\/play.svg?500116090725\" alt=\"\"\/><br \/>\n        Listen to the article<br \/>\n        <span class=\"text-to-speech__button__audio-length\">5 min<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls\">\n        <audio controls=\"\" class=\"js-text-to-speech\" preload=\"none\"><source src=\"https:\/\/text-to-speech.divecdn.com\/newspost\/805729\/2025-11-18_10.20.37\/walmart-grinch-whoknewville-holiday-marketing-campaign.wav\" type=\"audio\/mp3\"><\/source><\/audio><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls__text\">\n            This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.retaildive.com\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">feedback<\/a>.\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Walmart\u2019s Dr. Seuss-themed holiday marketing is getting a boost from the Grinch as the effort enters its second phase ahead of Black Friday, per details shared with sister publication Marketing Dive. The big-box store previously teased appearances from the infamous green grump, and on Monday <a href=\"https:\/\/corporate.walmart.com\/news\/2025\/11\/17\/walmart-gives-holiday-shoppers-what-they-have-been-asking-for-more-black-friday-deals-more-cyber-monday-steals-and-more-goggins\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">announced Walton Goggins will be filling his shoes<\/a> for the \u201cWhoKnewVille\u201d campaign. Goggins, who makes his on-screen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3fmicq_hxRM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">debut as the Grinch in a new social video<\/a>, previously led spots launching <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketingdive.com\/news\/walmart-challenges-consumer-perceptions-with-who-knew-campaign\/750112\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Walmart\u2019s larger \u201cWho Knew?\u201d platform<\/a>\u00a0focused on changing perceptions of the retailer.<\/p>\n<p>Putting Goggins in a starring seasonal role not only builds on the existing equity of \u201cWho Knew?,\u201d but also responds to social media chatter among fans who view the \u201cWhite Lotus\u201d actor \u2014 known for portraying mischievous characters \u2014 as an ideal fit for the part. \u201cWhoKnewVille\u201d extends Walmart\u2019s strategy of orienting more of its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketingdive.com\/news\/walmart-retail-holiday-marketing-campaigns-2024\/730274\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">holiday advertising around pop culture touchstones<\/a> to drive relevance while highlighting services like its mobile app and membership program Walmart+.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe notion of nostalgia obviously helps us appeal to the customer in a more emotional way, but it also allows us to do a lot of the strategy and business-driving components of the work that we need to do,\u201d said David Hartman, vice president of creative at Walmart. Hartman added that recognizable figures like the Grinch \u201chelp [Walmart] open the door of attention for our customers\u201d during a crowded period for retail marketing.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Mt. Crumpit | Walmart Black Friday Deals\" width=\"1170\" height=\"658\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Czb5tagO_4U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Goggin\u2019s snarky take on the Grinch takes the reins in a long-form ad that is running as a YouTube masthead and will appear in shorter cutdowns. In the brand film, \u201cWhoKnewVille\u201d protagonist Mindy Lou Who scales Mt. Crumpit in search of a partner who can raise awareness for Walmart\u2019s Black Friday deals. The Grinch takes some convincing, but the pair, accompanied by dog sidekick Max, eventually descend on the titular town of WhoKnewVille to covertly leave gifts under Christmas trees, courtesy of Walmart.\u00a0Mishaps occur along the way, with the Grinch getting caught by a kid who mistakes him for Santa Claus and stepping on a Lego piece.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Stephanie Beatriz, another actor from the first batch of \u201cWho Knew?\u201d ads, is also slotted to make an appearance as the mayor of WhoKnewVille, according to Hartman. The celebrity studded creative follows <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketingdive.com\/news\/walmart-balances-whimsy-value-dr-seuss-inspired-holiday-ads\/803917\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">previous \u201cWhoKnewVille\u201d ads<\/a> that have gained traction with consumers, including an introductory spot that has accrued more than 9 million YouTube views as of press time.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve found through our campaigns over time that long-form content actually performs really well for Walmart,\u201d said Hartman.<\/p>\n<h3>Building a unified brand world<\/h3>\n<p>Along with the narrative-driven videos, the Grinch will show up in Walmart media placements including a Times Square takeover that sees the creature\u2019s fuzzy mitts stretch across multiple billboards to spotlight Black Friday deals on products including the Nintendo Switch 2, JBL speakers and Vizio TVs. In addition, the Dr. Seuss icon will disrupt upcoming NFL broadcasts, though Walmart didn\u2019t share further details on the integrations. Walmart\u2019s holiday promotions this year come in three phases: an early Black Friday event that ended Nov. 16, a Black Friday push from Nov. 25-30 and Cyber Monday deals arriving Dec. 1.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"inside_story\">\n<div class=\"figure_content\">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Times Square billboards for Walmart show the Grinch's arm showcasing products like a Nintendo Switch 2\" data-imagemodel=\"189444\" src=\"https:\/\/imgproxy.divecdn.com\/8MArY9-4eDU4Q_fs-JGEIBu8alm4mBYuxqzmGg4aE3I\/g:ce\/rs:fit:1600:0\/Z3M6Ly9kaXZlc2l0ZS1zdG9yYWdlL2RpdmVpbWFnZS9XYWxtYXJ0X1RpbWVzU3F1YXJlT09IX1ZvcnRleC5qcGc=.webp\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"inside_story_caption\">\n<p>The Grinch takes over Times Square to showcase Walmart\u2019s Black Friday deals.<\/p>\n<p>Permission granted by Walmart<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re trying to be really inventive about the tactics and how we tell the stories and do it in a way that feels like it\u2019s differentiated for Walmart,\u201d said Hartman. \u201cThe plan of slowly introducing the campaign to the customer is not a new thing. I think what is new this year is that we have a really tight, unified world of both WhoKnewVille,\u00a0as well as the role of the Grinch.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Publicis Groupe agencies Fallon, Leo NY, The Community, Contender and Digitas helped develop \u201cWhoKnewVille.\u201d The campaign was also made in collaboration with Dr. Seuss Enterprises.<\/p>\n<section class=\"storylines-carousel-wrapper hide-small show-large\" id=\"desktop-carousel\"\/>\n<p>The broader \u201cWho Knew?\u201d platform aims to change the way people see Walmart by highlighting the big-box store\u2019s wide-ranging product assortment, the convenience of express delivery and the benefits of Walmart+, an Amazon Prime competitor. Walmart so far has seen a positive reception to the campaign, which <a href=\"https:\/\/seekingalpha.com\/article\/4815726-walmart-inc-wmt-q2-2026-earnings-call-transcript\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">received a shout-out on a recent earnings call<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think the team is particularly excited about the messaging,\u201d said Walmart U.S. President and CEO John Furner, who will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.retaildive.com\/news\/walmart-ceo-doug-mcmillon-retires-john-furner-succeeds\/805522\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">take on the company\u2019s top job<\/a> starting in February, on the call. \u201cWhat we were obviously hoping to do was help people see Walmart a bit differently and help explain to people that may not know \u2026 that we have such a broad assortment, which would include our stores, our first-party commerce business and marketpla<span><span><span><span><span><span>ce.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><strong>Published by Dralys Blog \u2013 Stories | Insights | Innovation<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Discover more on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dralysstore.com\" target=\"_blank\">DralysStore.com<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"pld-like-dislike-wrap pld-template-2\">\r\n    <div class=\"pld-like-wrap  pld-common-wrap\">\r\n    <a href=\"javascript:void(0)\" class=\"pld-like-trigger pld-like-dislike-trigger  \" title=\"\" data-post-id=\"76464\" data-trigger-type=\"like\" data-restriction=\"no\" data-already-liked=\"0\">\r\n                        <i class=\"fas fa-heart\"><\/i>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n    <span class=\"pld-like-count-wrap pld-count-wrap\">    <\/span>\r\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Listen to the article 5 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":75526,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[74,34,65,176,45,177,10],"class_list":["post-76464","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dralys-insights","tag-dralys","tag-e-commerce","tag-entrepreneurship","tag-ecosystem","tag-innovation","tag-smart-shopping","tag-technology"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/play.svg.svg+xml","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76464","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76464"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76464\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":76466,"href":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76464\/revisions\/76466"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}