Target and Starbucks are leading the way for inclusive holiday campaigns.

Target and Starbucks are leading the way for inclusive holiday campaigns. As brands focus their holiday campaigns on “gifting and gathering,” Target and Starbucks are putting diversity and inclusion at the center of theirs. Target, who worked with creative agency Mother, women-owned production companies including Little Minx and Merman, and Essence for the campaign, released a 30-second spot featuring a diverse cast coming together for a “wide range” of holidays including Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Diwali. Starbucks also focused on commonalities, while gradually moving away from putting Christmas at the center of its holiday campaigns and embracing “the more secular concept of gifting” as the main theme. Along with the usual red and green cups, the chain debuted cups in a wintry lilac color, which include a blank space resembling a gift tag. While the two campaigns have received high marks from marketing experts, they also remind other brands who want to follow suit to be mindful and make their work “truly inclusive across a number of dimensions as they look to authentically engage consumers while avoiding problematic potholes.” (Marketing Dive)