Dan DErrico for Target
Last night, Target took over the southern façade of the Standard as well as the surrounding blocks to put on what they called “The Target Kaleidoscopic Fashion Spectacular.” And spectacular it was.
In a dazzling and dizzying display of music, lights, dance, fashion, and, above all, wealth, Target put on a 20 minute show perfectly suited to the ADD-generation. A meticulously choreographed dance routine synchronized to a light show played out across 155 rooms, set to an original score recorded with a 30-piece orchestra and 10-member chorus. If that wasn’t enough, models in Target collections (no William Rast) walked on scaffolding in front of the hotel at the same time. All this amidst protests over Target’s controversial $150K donation to business advocacy group MN Forward who supports Tom Emmer, a Republican candidate for Minnesota governor who is outspoken against gay marriage. (Protesters were on hand holding signs that read “Bigot” using Target’s bulls eye logo as the “o”).
My first thought as I took in the spectacle of Target’s “spectacular”: “Does this mean the recession is over?”
Dan Derrico for Target
The production was massive. The entire side of the Standard was transformed into a flashing disco floor with dancers in each square. At one point dancers contorted to form branches and leaves of a tree that stretched through floors, the windows lit up green around them. Later, curtains were drawn and back lit to set the scene for a burlesque-style tease that only revealed dancers from the waist down. On and on it went. It was an amazing show.
More impressive was the cost of it all. One source estimates the cost of the event at around a million, easy. So we roughly broke down the cost of last night’s Target fall fashion spectacular (minus the private party at the Standard’s biergarten):
- 155 Standard Queen rooms at $295 (their cheapest rates) = $45,725
- 66 professional dancers at around $2000 a dancer (this rough estimate from MSA Talent Agency who reps 20 of the dancers who performed in the show). Dancers rehearsed on a 20,000 square foot sound stage for nine days prior to the show. = $132,000
- 20 models at around $1000 each = $20,000
- Scaffolding structure that held the runway show: $35,000 plus $10,000 for lighting
- Shutting down Little West 12th Street plus security: $100,000
- Celebrity service for Mary-Louise Parker and Penn Badgley at $1000 each for car service, $50,000 each for a 45 minute appearance = $102,000
- 156 LED lights at around $20 each = $3120
- Programming, equipment and labor for lighting = $50,000
- Original score = $35,000
- An estimated four days of recording at $3000 per day with a 30 piece orchestra and 10 member choir = $12,000
- 30 musicians at around $1800 each = $54,000
- Bleachers for viewing = $15,000
- Red carpet (step and repeat plus lighting) = $10,000
TOTAL = over $620,000
Dan DErrico for Target
Tags: Mary-Louise Parker, Penn Badgely, Target
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no. it means we have all spent too much at Target waiting for the recession to be over.
well Balazs says eh is donating all of it to gay rights advocacy group…let’s see if he really follows through…!
66 dancers at $2000 each is $132,000, not $13,200.
thanks, fixed :)
I think companies are not spending as much as they used to but they are spending it in a more concentrated way. Sort of like expensive quality over expensive quantity in terms of advertising. They are thinking more about where is the best focus of all their ad/publicity $.
First, thank you for mentioning Target’s donation to the anti-gay candidate. This event hasn’t gotten as much press as I thought it would, and no negative press. If this is what their event cost, then their refusal to donate the same amount to an apposing candidate because they can’t afford it is obviously untrue. Target’s strategy has always been to create lots of buzz with the fashion people (which includes lots of gays). Then they stab a large percentage of that community in the back. While I wouldn’t advocate a boycott as many have, I’ve lost all respect for the brand and will not be shopping there in the future.
I think you’re lowballing the city permits + security cost, I’m thinking the permits alone must’ve been 100-150K. And they have at least one PR agency which would charge an event fee.
Yep – these estimates are definitely conservative.
I’m boycotting. I usually pick up all sorts of stuff there, drugstore items, detergent, socks, food things, gym gear. I have been feeling the pain for the last few weeks but hopefully they will as well. I would think everyone in fashion would boycott.
It is clear that Target has way too much money to burn and not enough sense of direction or mission to know what to do with it. This is a heck of a lot of money to spend on a localized event. A stupid move on their part to make partisan political donations in the first place. If they want to be seen to be promoting democracy and the political process, they should have made equal political donations to both sides. Their partisan donation has blown up in their faces and no amount of flashy pyrotechnics is going to erase that.
This indeed is one mammoth of a fashion show..
The news spread around just like wild fire.
And OMG! more than half a million dollars for the show?
Let’s just give them a benefit of the doubt from here.
Lets just say most of the funds came from sponsors.
Thanks for posting ! Love it !
I like the how they design the runway. . It’s a one hot fashion show.
Show of glamour, style, and top fashion in a very visually delightful way..
Of course, it’s half a million dollar show after all..