Still Some Big Questions for Big Kmart

Advertiser: Kmart Corp.

Agency: Campbell Mithun Esty, Minneapolis

Challenge: Introduce Big Kmart, persuading consumers that it is different from plain, old Kmart.

The Ad: A star-studded spot directed by Kmart spokeswoman Penny Marshall highlights the people behind the brands sold exclusively at the discount retailer. Martha Stewart (sheets and towels), Big Bird (kids’ clothes), actress Jaclyn Smith and model Kathy Ireland (women’s clothing) and Roger Penske (auto centers) put in appearances. They arrive in a small town either aboard big rigs, in race cars or on foot, and townsfolk pour out of shops and diners to follow them to Big Kmart. Bob Hope has a cameo role at the end of the commercial, putting down the newspaper he had been reading to exclaim: “Big Kmart. Now that’s big.”

Comment: The commercial implies big means better. But is it? Kmart has offered celebrity lines for some time--so what’s really different about Big Kmart? Are the stores neater and better organized? Are the sales people knowledgeable and helpful? These are a few of the questions that current and former Kmart shoppers probably have about Big Kmart. Unfortunately, the commercial provides no answers. $$

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