‘They’re painting all the buildings a dark brown’: Is Target getting rid of its red and white branding?

A TikTok user posted a viral video questioning if Target is rebranding after noticing it started to implement brown and teal colors in its stores and advertising.

Where did she notice the new colors?

Lauren Paige (@kindergartenthoughts) has reached over 2.3 million views on her video. She added a caption asking viewers, “Has your Target building turned brown?”

To start her video, Paige records herself talking as she first asks the question, “Why are all the Targets turning brown?” 

She says that she recently noticed the lack of the color red in Target’s marketing. “They switched over to the white circle Target logo, and then now they’re painting all of the buildings a dark, like, beige brown,” she says of the stores in her area. 

Next, Paige mentions that when she first saw the new Target Circle Week commercial, the first thing that caught her eye was how teal green elements were added to the video. Viewers can see that all actors in the video are wearing red suits, though each with a teal tie. The Circle Week logo also includes a white Target bullseye encircled in teal.

“Are they trying to phase out the red altogether?” Paige asks. 

Then, Paige says that if you go to the Target website, the design is still “very much the red and white branding.” However, if you scroll down to find the Circle Week section, “it has that teal pop of color.” 

Before ending her video, Paige says that she believes switching to a more “modern color” and implementing neutrals is a smart marketing move for Target, although she says the building recolor is less eye-catching.

“Like, when I’m driving by, I don’t see like, ‘Wow, that’s Target; it’s red,'” she says. “It’s like a neutral brown.” 

Due to this change, Paige thinks shoppers won’t notice Target as often when shopping at outdoor shopping centers.

@kindergartenthoughts Has your Target building turned brown? Slow branding changes #targetbranding #targetlogo #targetcolors #targetchanges #target2024 #targetcircleweek ♬ original sound – Lauren Paige

Is Target rebranding?

While Target has not officially spoken on this topic, a blogger posted a case study they conducted over Target Brand Colors & Psychology, claiming this rebrand has been in the works for a while. 

“Target is well known for its white and red brand colors that adorn their signature bullseye sign and their bull terrier mascot,” they first state. However, “they have started to integrate some different colors into their stores’ designs and have been using less red.”

The blogger says that the first element they noticed a change in was that Target has recently added “more gray and green into their stores on grocery aisle signs.” 

“Red, for instance, is a color that captivates attention and is associated with action and excitement,” they continue. They say that for this reason, many retailers use red on advertisements or on signs about a sale. 

The blogger believes that one reason Target has started using neutral colors for a lot of its marketing is that, at most stores, the signs on product shelves are red to draw the attention of shoppers. 

“If all of the signs in the store were red, they would no longer stand out and catch the eye,” they explain. “Consumers would tune out all of the red signs, and Target would have a harder time suggesting products in their stores.” 

Viewers react

In the comments section, viewers reacted to Paige’s observation and shared their own.

“My local target brought the little diner area back!!” a viewer told Paige. “There’s popcorn and hot dogs and it’s so cute!!”

A second said, “Up in Sacramento they’ve started to make Target brown, but south of Fresno they’re all bright red that I’ve seen.”

“My app is verrrrrry teal,” another added.

One viewer claimed, “They’ve used Teal as their new promo color for a while. Deal days are teal and Black Friday has been teal for a few years. I just think it’s to stand out against the red.”

The Daily Dot reached out to Paige via TikTok comment and direct message and to Target via email. 

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