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Marshalls brings Father’s Day gifting to Manhattan’s streets

June 15, 2018Written by Tom Ryan

Marshalls Surprise Father's Day Billboard Event in NYC on Wednesday, June 13, 2018 - Photo: Amy Sussman/AP Images for Marshalls

On Wednesday, June 13, Marshalls installed a “larger-than-life billboard” in the Flatiron District in Manhattan to help “Dad's Day procrastinators nationwide.”

From 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., passersby were invited to “share a dad joke” to win one of a wide range of gifts planted on the nearly 60-foot climbing gym peg board. Jokes triggered lights to flicker around the board. Wherever the lights stopped, the contestant chose their gift from the section. The gifts ranged from kayaks to chairs, headphones, water bottles, socks, shirts and coolers. A certified climber then retrieved the gift. The musician, Kevin Jonas, was in attendance.

The campaign was designed to showcase the wide variety of gift items available and the “fun” delivered through Marshalls' treasure hunt shopping experience.

"We believe shopping should be fun; it should thrill you and immediately deliver something exciting," said Victoria Shonkoff, Marshalls’ VP, marketing director, in a statement. "Our Father's Day billboard embodies everything we offer our Marshalls shoppers daily — an ever-changing selection of products, a fun shopping experience, and amazing prices."

Workwear brand Carhartt provided a different take on Father’s Day this year. The company identified four father-run businesses from around the country and surprised their owners with hand-painted signs for Father's Day “to thank them for a job well done.”

[caption id="attachment_81797" align="alignleft" width="666"] Marshalls brings Father’s Day gifting to Manhattan’s streets

Marshalls Surprise Father's Day Billboard Event in NYC on Wednesday, June 13, 2018 - Photo: Amy Sussman/AP Images for Marshalls[/caption]

A few fast-food establishments offer freebies (e.g., “Free Dessert at Wienerschnitzel on Father’s Day”) but most campaigns around Father’s Day are focusing on “Gifts For Dad” promotions and suggestions.

Among department stores, Macy’s stands out with an offer of Father’s Day gift options on its newly-launched @macysmen Instagram account that features suggestions from a number of “cultural tastemakers.”

The National Retail Federation’s (NRF) annual survey predicted Father’s Day would reach a near-record of $15.3 billion this year, up from a lull of $9.4 billion in 2009 amid the recession years. But that’s well off of NRF’s predictions for other shopping holidays this year, including Easter, $18.2 billion; Valentine’s Day, $19.6 billion; and Mother’s Day, $23.1 billion.

For retailers, holiday sales are further challenged by the notion that fathers are hard to find presents for and likely because buying a tie is often no longer an option. NRF’s findings also show that a “special outing” gift, such as a concert, sporting event or dinner, continues to grow in popularity.

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