Target vs. Walmart: Back to School on Retail Media

Back to School by the Numbers: A Look at Target & Walmart

Target and Walmart each hosted major back to school campaigns this summer, generating a nearly identical impression volume (2.3M) across July and August. Interestingly, Target’s impressions were spread across 329 different brands, while Walmart’s campaign featured half as many (116). For Target, back to school messaging accounted for 33% of all retail media impressions during the time period, compared to 23% at Walmart.

Cleaning Brands Led at Target, While Walmart Highlighted School Supplies

At Target, cleaning brands emerged as surprise standouts in the back-to-school lineup, thanks to clever tie-ins to college life, like Tide’s laundry tips campaign and Clorox’s “mess-free semester” message. Walmart’s campaign focused more on school supplies brands like Crayola, Elmer’s, and Paper Mate, who were often featured together in ads designed to help parents check off their back to school shopping lists.

Advertisers at Both Retailers Prioritized Facebook, But Diverged Elsewhere

Brands  at both Target and Walmart prioritized Facebook to promote their back to school messages. At Target, brands leaned more heavily into display ads, where multiple products were often grouped into themed collections like “College must-haves” and “Get set for back to school.” Walmart’s campaign saw a larger share of video ads on TikTok and OTT, where top creatives highlighted shopping lists and student essentials.

Both Retailers Used Back to School to Reinforce Their Brand Story

With twice as many brands featured in their campaign, Target delivered a broader mix of creative themes, ranging from back to school snacking and trending fashion to college skincare routines. One of their primary taglines, “All of the Above” underscored Target’s breadth of categories to support students and parents at every stage.

At Walmart, ads often highlighted back to school shopping lists, including a humorous TikTok campaign where kids shared their favorite products. Walmart also tapped Walton Goggins to headline their “Who Knew?” campaign, which they described as “an invitation to take a second look at the new Walmart.” 

Both retailers also promoted special discounts for students, including 20% off one purchase with Target Circle and 50% off a Walmart+ Student Membership.

Are you ready to see how your competitors are investing in retail media networks? Retail Media Insights provides marketers with complete visibility into the co-branded digital advertising ecosystem and retail media networks. This monthly highlight provides only a small sample of the potential insights and use cases. Learn more by requesting a demo below.