Alex Lee, a teenager from Texas, became a worldwide celebrity literally overnight when a picture of him was posted onto Twitter and went viral (Heine, 2014). The picture was posted by a teenage girl and showed Alex working at his job at a Target SuperStore. Along with the picture, the hashtag #AlexFromTarget became a trending topic (Heine, 2014). Target itself acknowledged the image and hashtag, posting the following response on their own Twitter feed:
Alex agreed to do a live interview on the TV show Ellen, but has turned down multiple other interview requests (Bilton, 2014). Since he is still in high school, his privacy is being protected (Heine, 2014). However, from target’s perspective, the answer of what to do next is less clear. Is this phenomenon a launch pad for a successful new advertising campaign? Or would exploiting the teenager for marketing purposes be a lead to dangerous territory?
On one hand, #AlexFromTarget has already resulted in a high level of exposure for the company, completely free of cost. There is real potential to take the attention to the next level by creating a marketing campaign that comes with a built-in audience.
On the other hand, using the teen’s instant celebrity and name recognition for marketing purposes could backfire, making the company seem opportunistic and exploitative. What about the high schooler’s privacy? What about what Alex and his parents want?
I think Target should accept whatever positive marketing comes from the #AlexFromTarget phenomenon on its own, and avoid the negative implications that a new marketing campaign, based on the teenager’s instant fame, could bring. What do you think? Is an #AlexFromTarget marketing campaign a brilliant strategy waiting to happen? Or would it be wise for Target to protect the teen’s privacy and let it all blow over?
Heine, C. (2014, Nov 3). Should Target put ‘Alex’ in an actual ad campaign? ADWEEK. Retrieved from http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/should-target-put-alex-actual-ad-campaign-161193
Bilton, N. (2014, Nov 12). Alex from Target: The other side of fame. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/13/style/alex-from-target-the-other-side-of-fame.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=mini-moth®ion=top-stories-below&WT.nav=top-stories-below