Entertainment Tie-ins / Licensing

Walmart has kicked off one of its most omnichannel marketing campaigns ever with its Holiday Sing to Salute Military Families.

The nationwide campaign encourages the public to sing a portion of a classic holiday song while capturing it on video, and then post the video on social media channels to show support for members of the military and their families.

Pier 1 Imports is celebrating the holidays with two unusual pop-up experiences.

The home décor retailer is creating a life-sized, pop-up book installation, open to the public from December 2 – 6, in downtown Manhattan.

It also is sending a limited edition, holiday pop-up catalog, created in collaboration with award-winning paper engineer Bruce Foster, to select customers. To see a video of the pop-up catalog, click here.

Target Corp. has long been an innovator in retail marketing and merchandising. But its latest efforts to think outside the box are taking it even further afield.

Specialty apparel retailer New York & Company is targeting social media-savvy young women with a new promotional campaign that brings jeans into the digital realm.

New York & Company is promoting its new line of Soho jeans with a rich media campaign featuring American Idol alum Jennifer Hudson. Through the trends section of its main e-commerce site (avoiding any content silos), New York & Company displays images of Hudson that can bring the customer directly to a product page for purchase.

Barneys New York is bringing an icy winter chill—literally—to its holiday windows.

With a theme of “Chillin’ Out,” the specialty retailer has transformed the windows of its Manhattan flagship into a winter wonderland, complete with 35-foot fully functioning ice locker that features daily live ice carving.

CBL & Associates Properties and Fisher-Price along with special guest, Santa Claus, delivered an early Christmas gift to families at West Towne Mall in Madison, Wisconsin.

The brand new soft play area attraction is now open and is the first of its kind in the country, resembling a larger-than-life Toy Box featuring iconic children’s brands like Thomas & Friends, Little People, and more.

Of all the celebrants of China’s annual “Singles Day” Nov. 11 holiday, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. was probably the happiest.

By midnight Nov. 11 China time (which is ahead of all U.S. time zones), Alibaba estimated it had settled about $14.34 billion in gross merchandise volume (GMV) through its Alipay payment platform on its China and international retail marketplaces.

Holiday shoppers are in for an interactive treat when they visit Macerich malls this holiday season.

HGTV’s interactive “Santa HQ” returns Nov. 5 through Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, to spread holiday cheer to guests of all ages with a 21st century take on the traditional Santa Claus experience.

Retailers can use apps for more than just driving sales, as demonstrated by Office Depot Inc.’s latest mobile move.

The Office Depot and OfficeMax parent company is re-releasing its Elf Yourself mobile app. The app, which Office Depot has offered every holiday season since 2012 and launched as an online platform in 2006, is a prime example of how retailers are using apps to build positive consumer sentiment and brand awareness.

Saks Fifth Avenue’s holiday windows are an annual tradition in Manhattan, and the retailer keeps upping the ante.

Saks will unveil its windows on Nov. 23, and the display promise to light up the night. The retailer will transform its windows with a “Winter Place” theme, complete with a state-of-the-art light show featuring three-dimensional elements on the front facade of the iconic store, including towering light icicles, crystal palace spires, and snowy magnolia arches.