Ahead of the curve or a long time coming?

Target’s latest campaign is literally “without translation!” The “Sin Traducción” campaign is Target’s bold move to reach Hispanic consumers on a more emotional level. This progressive campaign features Spanish words and moments that simply can’t be translated into English.

The Spanish words “arrullo” and “sobremesa” are the stars in the launch spots that are currently airing. Arullo (ah – roo – yoh) is used today to describe the perfect ambience and setting to put a baby to sleep, and sobremesa (soh – breh- meh – sah) is a period of time right after dinner in which family and friends linger at the dinner table to talk or spend quality time together. The ads bring these words to life and point out that, “There will always be a part of you that simply doesn’t translate.”

Unlike Target’s previous campaigns, which were tailored for general audiences, “Sin Traducción” was crafted from the start with Hispanics in mind. With 64% of the Hispanic market being born in the United States and 35% of all Hispanics speaking both English and Spanish in their homes, this campaign acknowledges and embraces this bicultural reality. The commercials portray the dual world of Hispanics as they blend their Hispanic traditions with their American culture, while highlighting the many products that Target has to offer.

The campaign also sparks a larger conversation with the Hispanic community. A social campaign by design, the commercials are branded with the hashtag #SinTraducción and are meant to open up dialogue on social media amongst consumers as well as with Target. As consumers share their opinions and provide feedback the campaign will continue to evolve and grow.

Accounting for 17% of the U.S. population and consumer spending of $1.4 trillion in 2014, Hispanic consumers buying power cannot be denied. Target’s seamless blending of cultural worlds is a pioneering campaign that represents retailer’s increasing integration of Hispanic messaging into their mainstream efforts. As more and more U.S. Hispanics grow up speaking both English and Spanish, demographic lines will continue to blur.

Is Target’s push ahead of the curve or has it been a long time coming? Check out Target’s “estrenó” (es – treh – noh: premiere; release) of “Sin Traducción” and let us know what you think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSPtaj0Tbro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQCOWJ8kJ0I