A campaign
that made a lot of noise, noise, noise
In 2025, we launched Walmart’s “Who knew?” reappraisal campaign. It successfully shifted consumer perception and drove massive business results, but we all wondered how we’d make that platform work in Walmart’s most important shopping season: the holidays.
How would we get holiday shoppers to turn to Walmart for top brand gifts?
How would we show them Walmart has more than they think, like 1-hour delivery for last-minute presents, and early access to Black Friday deals?
And how would we structure a huge hierarchy of messaging over a 3-month period into one big campaign idea?
Then we realized –– maybe it’s not a “how.”
Maybe it’s a Who.
Town
Crier
The Whos are arguably the preeminent experts on the holidays – but Christmas chaos can send even the most seasoned shoppers into a tailspin. If only there was a way to make the holidays easier… In our first chapter, holiday chaos hits WhoKnewVille as the Whos discover that the answer to the seasonal stress is actually Walmart. It just takes Mindy Lou Who and her magical discovery to help them get there.
Mt.
Crumpit
In the second chapter of Walmart's WhoKnewVille, we introduced the Grinch, played by none other than Walton Goggins. Capitalizing on a viral fan-casting dream, we transformed the world's most famous holiday curmudgeon into a slightly annoyed but ultra cool hero for the modern age.
The Grinch
Delivers
In the third and final chapter of WhoKnewVille, Walton Goggins returns as the Grinch to tackle the ultimate holiday pressure cooker: the last-minute gift dash. Shifting the focus to Walmart Express Delivery, the campaign follows the Grinch and Mindy Lou as they race to save Christmas for the residents of WhoKnewVille.
Soon, all the Whos knew
Even in quicker :15s, we spread priority brand messaging without ever leaving WhoKnewVille.
We created
a whole
Whoniverse
All the trimmings…
Wardrobe crafted entirely from Walmart pieces
120+
custom wigs
Down
to every
hairy detail
Casting based on a viral insight
Credits
Agency
CEO: Nikki Baker
ECDs: Travis Parr, Paulo Junger
CDs: Sara Cummings, Abby Gross
ACDs: Leah Jarem, Meredith Niles
Copywriters: Pete Prendergast, Ella Price
Art Directors: Alisha Branch, Rachel Williams, Erin Dorney
CDs (Social): Molly Crawford, Danny Weilandt, Christina Swan, Jamie Fox, Yuri Kim
Creatives (thecommunity): Ricky Vior, Silvio Caielli, Mapi Bartolome, Gabriela Diaz
Creatives (Contender): Robert Clifton Jr., DeChazier Pykel, Kendra Croft, Temi Lawson
Design: Daniel Arenas, Lydia Bickal
Head of Production (PXP): Chris Detoy
EPs: Peter McCann, Karen McKibben, Katie Porter, Rosa Matos
Producers: Trevor Hembling, Woodrow Clark, Eva Pipa, Bridget Pierce
Account: Rashaun Smith, Lana Caroleo, Tenille Tubbs, Erika Maddrey, Liz Der, Alda Abbracciamento, Andrea Hoock, Gillian Rooney
Strategy: Paul Savaiano, Taylor Brodie, Delphine Mckinley, Lucas Rojas
PMs: Teonna Anderson, Elizabeth Stelling, Claire Vidika, Kaitlin Counihan
BA: Yenia Paez, Brendan Lawrence, Camille Crenshaw
Harbor (Color)
Senior Colorist: Oisin O’Driscoll, Adrian Seery, Scarlett Tierney
Senior Color Producer: Brad Martin
Executive Producer, Color: Nadia Dabibi
Harbor (Mix)
Senior Sound Mixer + Designer: Glen Landrum
Additional Mixing: Steve Perski, Walter Bianco
Associate Sound Mixers: Andrew Wodzanowski, Catherine Sangiovanni, Chris Perepezko
Assistant Sound Mixer: Alex Lavetter
Senior Producer, Sound: Chris Cassar
Executive Producer, Sound: Lauren Boyle
Creative License
SVPs: Graham Micone, Josh Barnes
VP Business Affairs: David Jacob
Senior Director Music and Talent: Leah Kahan
Account Executive: Chloe Gooch
Music and Talent Associate: Bryn Taylor
Radical Media
Director: Marc Webb
Line Producer: Colin Moran
DP: Jonathan Sela
Production Designer: Josh Locy
Prop Master: John "Jack" Gogreve
Make Up Artist: Alan Scott / Legacy FX
Key Wigs & Hair: Dean Banowetz
Key Makeup: Rachel Hoke
Key Makeup: Jenn Hanching
Costume Designer: Heather Allison
Executive Producers: Frank Scherma, Jim Bouvet, Rebecca Niles
Head of Production: Andrea McIntyre
Director (Social): Paul Briganti
Producer (Social): Kelly Christensen
Union Editorial
Editors: Merritt Duff, Karen Kourtessis, Chris Walker, Ryan Stacom (Social)
Assistant Editors: Artemis Tapliga, Efthimi Matsamakis, Nico Gilmore, Danny Reguinho
Head of Production: Lily Hartmann
Managing Director: Caryn Maclean
Executive Producer: Melissa Lubin
Visual Effects Producer: Lauren Hafner Addison
Assistant Producer: Francesca Raimondi
Graphics Creative Director: Chris Bialkowski
Motion Graphics Artist: Sean Vickery
Framestore
Executive Producer: Pete King, Sr. VFX Producer: Andy Foster, Creative Director: Chris Eckardt, CG Supervisor: Brian Creasy, Onset VFX Sup: David Sudd
Tempest
Executive Creative Director/Composer: Aaron Kotler, Executive Creative Director: Mike MacAllister, Executive Producer: Ian Jeffreys, Producer: Renata Kazin
Dept of Music
Co-Founders: Rob Kaplan, Michael Freeman, EP: Colleen Young, Producer: Caroline MacComber