Target knows a good joke when it sees one. Yesterday, its Facebook page was the center of a troll-storm when man posing as a Target customer service representative posted caustic comments to people upset with them over the company’s choice to eliminate gender labels on its toy aisles.
While the conversation online was “overwhelmingly pro-Target,” as Digiday reported earlier this week, some didn’t agree with the move. People blasted the move as “ridiculous,” prompting online jokester Mike Melgaard (a.k.a. “Ask ForHelp,” complete with a Target logo as his picture) to reply back with sarcastic comments.
Target distanced itself from Melgaard, releasing a comment saying “clearly this individual was not speaking on behalf” of the retailer, even though we think it enjoyed someone shutting down its haters just a little bit.
Late Thursday, Target posted a picture acknowledging the troll showing a couple of toy trolls with the caption: “Remember when Trolls were the kings of the world? Woo hoo! They’re back and only at Target stores.”
Cue the round-of-applause from commenters. The post has garnered 33,000 likes and 13,000 shares with 3,000 comments complimenting Target. “Well played, Target,” one said. Even Melgaard enjoyed it, writing “Target. Seriously. You are AWESOME.”
It looks like the trolled becomes the troller.
More in Marketing
‘The processes are continuing forward’: Advertising’s dealmakers press on with M&A despite Iran uncertainty
War in the Middle East is a problem for advertising’s dealmakers. Just not yet.
In graphic detail: The numbers making the case for what holdcos could be
What the data says about the CMO-agency relationship — and none of it is comfortable.
TikTok rebrands its advertiser pitch around full-funnel ambition
The company’s latest business campaign aims to make the point that the app sees itself as a top tier platform for advertisers, where the full funnel can happen within one experience.