It seemed like a simple thing to get a response out of this whimsically painted pooch, which has been flown in to Toronto—first-class—to appear at a publicity event in the lead-up to Targets Canadian debut.
But then I sidle up to the red podium where the beloved bull terrier sits stoically, dead centre on a red-and-white bulls eye carpet. I make some small talk, tell her how pretty she looks, venture a pat between her perky pink ears. Bullseye is unmoved.
She stares straight ahead, her gaze steely. A few minutes later, on command of her handler, a perfunctory bark echoes through the room.
In this way, Bullseye is the perfect symbol for Target Corp. itself: projecting a colourful, friendly but at the same time guarded, often silent, and maintaining an iron grip on its message. Even the most benign questions, if they stray off-script, are unwelcome.
Bullseye eats dog food; Target will not divulge what kind. She enjoys many types of treats—no elaboration. She travels first-class; the type of carrier and all other travel arrangements are secret. She even has a rider, rock-star-style, that specifies her working conditions at events across the continent. These include a private space where she can retreat, Garbo-style, and a mandated number of breaks per hour. Target will not say how many.
She is used to proximity with celebrities, including, over the years, Cameron Diaz, Salma Hayek and Michael Bublé. But she is a star in her own right and is enshrined at Madame Tussauds wax museum in New York.
Since the character has appeared in Target ads since 1999 (including the chains first Canadian ad campaign, launched during the Oscar broadcast), there has, of course, been more than one Bullseye. (How many in those 14 years: no comment. Working life of each: classified.) But, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in each generation, there is only one. The same dog appears in all ads, at all events,and works exclusively for Target until the next terrier-in-training takes over. “We feel very comfortable knowing that we have her,” says Targets director of strategic partnerships and events, Dan Griffis. “Shes very special to us.”
When in character, Bullseye is bathed, and then its on to hair and makeup: a brushing, followed by the red-and-white paint—an American Humane Association-approved vegetable-based paint, applied by a professional makeup artist. “The vegetable paint actually enhances the dogs skin and fur, so imagine, at every event, being able to go through it, like a spa treatment,” Griffis says cheerfully. “Not a bad way to live.”
Another essential is the collar and custom rhinestone bulls eye dog tag. For special events, Bullseye has a closet full of custom-made themed costumes. The number of costumes and size of closet were not given, though the dogs repertoire does include an Indy Car racing suit, winter coats, and a shirt collar and bow tie for formal occasions.
When not working, she (Is it always a she? No answer) lives on a ranch just north of Los Angeles, belonging to her owner and trainer, David McMillan. McMillan, who operates Worldwide Movie Animals, chooses and trains each dog. The first command that the current Bullseye learned was “sit.”
The last Bullseye, now retired, also lives on the ranch. The website confirms it is home to the Target dog Nikki. Target would not say whether that is the non-working name of the retiree or of the current terrier.
Bullseye eats dog food; Target will not divulge what kind. She enjoys many types of treats—no elaboration. She travels first-class; the type of carrier and all other travel arrangements are secret. She even has a rider, rock-star-style, that specifies her working conditions at events across the continent. These include a private space where she can retreat, Garbo-style, and a mandated number of breaks per hour. Target will not say how many.
Another essential is the collar and custom rhinestone bulls eye dog tag. For special events, Bullseye has a closet full of custom-made themed costumes. The number of costumes and size of closet were not given, though the dogs repertoire does include an Indy Car racing suit, winter coats, and a shirt collar and bow tie for formal occasions.
The last Bullseye, now retired, also lives on the ranch. The website confirms it is home to the Target dog Nikki. Target would not say whether that is the non-working name of the retiree or of the current terrier.
When in character, Bullseye is bathed, and then its on to hair and makeup: a brushing, followed by the red-and-white paint—an American Humane Association-approved vegetable-based paint, applied by a professional makeup artist. “The vegetable paint actually enhances the dogs skin and fur, so imagine, at every event, being able to go through it, like a spa treatment,” Griffis says cheerfully. “Not a bad way to live.”
Since the character has appeared in Target ads since 1999 (including the chains first Canadian ad campaign, launched during the Oscar broadcast), there has, of course, been more than one Bullseye. (How many in those 14 years: no comment. Working life of each: classified.) But, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in each generation, there is only one. The same dog appears in all ads, at all events,and works exclusively for Target until the next terrier-in-training takes over. “We feel very comfortable knowing that we have her,” says Targets director of strategic partnerships and events, Dan Griffis. “Shes very special to us.”
Target’s transgender policy was progressive, but hurt them financially
In April 2016, when the subject of transgender people using the restrooms of their choosing was abuzz, Target posted, “We welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity.” But customers who werent on board with that decided to boycott the stores.
It was a move that made a dent in Targets bottom line, especially in the South. The Wall Street Journal reported in April 2017, one year later, that “inside the company, executives predicted the backlash would die down. It didnt, and foot traffic in several markets, particularly in the South, declined considerably in the months following the announcement.”
The article noted that some of the stores seeing declining sales were near Walmarts, and “were physically worn down and werent competitive on prices of commodity goods.” Since that time, Target promised to “invest $7 billion” in part to upgrade and “remodel 110 stores [in 2017], one-third of those in the Dallas-Fort Worth area — a market that lost foot traffic after the bathroom pronouncement.” In addition, Target said they would spend $20 million to add private bathrooms to stores that didnt already have them.
Minnesota’s former governor has a big Target connection
When Dayton family patriarch George Draper Dayton first went into business over a century ago, he started with a single building in downtown Minneapolis, as noted by the Minn Post. However, all these years later, the Dayton family is worth a whopping $1.6 billion, according to Forbes in 2015. Theres a good chance that the late Target founder would be quite pleased with his familys success were he here to see it!
Not every Dayton descendant worked exclusively in the retail sector though, as one of them held a seriously coveted political office. That would be former Minnesota governor Mark Dayton, who held the office from 2011 through 2019, stepping down when he chose not to run for a third term. That was on the heels of his tenure as a senator of Minnesota, a job he had from 2001 to 2006, as noted by Twin Cities.
FAQ
Does Target still use the Target dog?
How old is Bullseye the Target dog?