Target is taking a fresh tack with its latest design partnership, swapping polished studio shoots for social-led, on-location storytelling.
The collaboration with heritage label Woolrich – which proudly calls itself “The Original Outdoor Clothing Company” and is nearing its bicentennial – unfolds on the streets of New York City, where style influencer Lauren Wolfe and “Daylight” singer-songwriter David Kushner roam neighbourhoods and creative haunts to bring the range to life.
The campaign, titled “Adventure Is Wherever You Are,” launches Tuesday 14th and runs through 30 October across broadcast TV, social, out-of-home and audio channels such as Spotify, but the heart of the push is unmistakably social.
A social-first first for Target’s design collabs
While Target will still show up in traditional media, the retailer says this is the first time a design collaboration’s hero campaign and social content have been built as one integrated whole.
The aim is to meet people where they’re most engaged and keep Target at the centre of everyday discovery. That remit shaped the creative: social-native talent leading the narrative, vérité-style shooting on location in New York, and even a cheeky mockumentary beat.
In one of Kushner’s videos, he steps into a subway car seemingly overrun with wildlife as a David Attenborough-style voiceover marvels at the discovery of Woolrich x Target buffalo-check flannels – a playful nod to the brand’s outdoor DNA recast in an urban habitat.
From staged to lived-in
The pivot away from staged studio imagery is deliberate. Target wants content that feels genuine, unforced and shareable – moments that could plausibly be captured on a friend’s phone rather than a soundstage.
To craft that texture, the retailer enlisted set designer Griffin Stoddard (fresh off work with pop star Chappell Roan), alongside hairstylist Rachel Lee, make-up artist Frankie Boyd and wardrobe stylist Natalie Scicolone.
The result is a campaign that transposes Woolrich’s cabin-and-trail spirit to pavements, parks and subway platforms, reframing “outdoors” as a state of mind rather than a postcode.
The collection: heritage looks, high-street prices
Landing in most Target stores and online from 18 October, the Woolrich x Target assortment spans more than 100 items across men’s and women’s apparel, homewares, outdoor gear, and even food and beverage.
True to Target’s decades-long playbook of pairing high-end names with accessible pricing, most products come in under $40, with entry points as low as $2 – a stark contrast to Woolrich mainline parkas that can top $1,000.
The collaboration taps into guest insights around a resurgence of heritage-inspired design, fashion’s growing influence on outdoor lifestyles, and renewed interest in activities like hiking and birdwatching.
A critical Q4 backdrop
The launch arrives at a pivotal moment. Retailers are banking on a robust fourth quarter, even as tariff uncertainty looms and shoppers remain choosy on discretionary spend.
Target, which has weathered a spell of softer performance and public criticism over its direction – including boycotts tied to changes in its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives – reported a 1.9% year-over-year dip in comparable sales in Q2, with particular weakness in discretionary categories.
Against that backdrop, the Woolrich partnership is part of a broader slate designed to lift traffic and cultural relevance. Earlier this month, Target rolled out an extensive range tied to the final season of “Stranger Things,” backed by a national campaign co-created with Netflix and featuring cast talent.
Strategy: widen the welcome mat
With Woolrich x Target, the retailer is speaking to its loyal collaboration hunters while opening the door to new guests who may discover the brand through social creators rather than circulars.
By letting Wolfe and Kushner steer the story – and by embedding social concepts into the campaign’s DNA rather than retrofitting them – Target is betting that authenticity and immediacy will translate into curiosity, footfall and baskets.
The creative was developed internally, underscoring the company’s confidence in its evolving content engine.
Conclusion
“Adventure Is Wherever You Are” reimagines a storied outdoor brand for the rhythm of city life and the language of social feeds. It’s a campaign built to be watched on phones yet broad enough to stretch across billboards and TV, anchored by accessible price points and heritage-rich design.
As the holiday rush approaches and retail competition stiffens, Target’s social-first Woolrich collaboration is both a brand statement and a commercial swing: bring the outdoors indoors, bring the studio to the street, and bring new and returning guests back into the fold.
