The opening for Manhattan's first Target location is more than three weeks away, but the build-up leading to the mega-retailer's arrival at Harlem's East River Plaza is already proving to be nothing less than epic.
We're excited to hear that the company's taking a somewhat grassroots approach by collaborating with designer and local resident Isabel Toledo and her artist husband Ruben on a beachware collection, ahem, specifically targeted, to this specific location, with a portion of each purchase going towards a Harlem charity.
As we reported earlier, there's a number 6 train currently in service that's plastered from front to end in Target adverts, while the Wall Street Journal adds that the company has held a series of dinners with influential cultural leaders, including legendary filmmaker Albert Maysles, to ingratiate itself with the community.
Other hooplah surrounding the July 25th opening will include a celebrity-driven event on July 21, complete with a replica of the iconic Apollo Theater's stage, a performance by Doug E. Fresh (best known as the "Human Beat Box"), and food catered by Top Chef Masters winner Marcus Samuelsson, who has plans to stake out his own claim on Harlem later this fall with his Red Rooster restaurant.
All in all, it's a pretty exhaustive marketing effort for a retailer that's likely to bring in big business just by opening its doors.
