Dive Brief:

• In preparation for the holiday season, Target is building on its "What We Value Most Shouldn't Cost More" campaign with a new ad featuring a rendition of "Best of My Love" by The Emotions produced and performed by the Black Pumas and Sofia Reyes, the retailer announced on Monday.
• Target Creative, in partnership with its creative agency Mother, tapped women-owned production companies Little Minx and Merman to create the campaign, which it said is its largest of the year.
• The retailer also teamed up with Essence to increase its spending across diverse media partners, per the announcement. The campaign is meant to showcase the company's "commitment to diversity and inclusivity."

Dive Insight:

Target's decision to enlist diverse media partners is part of the company's effort to support marginalized groups in the creative field, the retailer said. The campaign aims to reflect its diverse customer base and employees.

"We know everyone celebrates the holidays a little differently, from long-standing family traditions to unique celebrations created with new friends, and everything in between," Cara Sylvester, chief marketing and digital officer at Target, said in a statement. "Regardless of how guests choose to celebrate, we believe that connection and community are universal, and this year's holiday campaign provides an opportunity for Target to connect with all of our guests while helping them discover the joy that's within reach every day throughout the season."

Besides its new marketing campaign, Target has been preparing for the busiest shopping season of the year in other ways. The retailer introduced its holiday deals in October and plans to hire 100,000 seasonal staffers. In October, Target said it plans to add more Apple shop-in-shops in time for the holidays, expanding the concept to 36 stores and deepening its 15-year partnership with the tech behemoth. It also recently added installment payment options via Affirm and Sezzle, and introduced new features to its same-day services in an effort to make consumers' shopping trips run smoother and faster this holiday.