Target shoppers say the store’s new holiday advertising campaign appeals to its target audience, and that’s why they’re here.

This November, the company released a slew of new ads featuring Santa Claus sporting a brand new look.

In the ad campaign, actor Brent Bailey plays Kris K., a Target employee with a secret – it’s him Strictly speaking Kris Kringle.

He wears a tight-fitting red sweater, has a trimmed beard, and drives a red pickup truck with the words “SLEIGH” emblazoned on the license plate. The car appears to be a twist on a common motif in Christmas decorations that became a TikTok trend last year (“a little red truck hauling a Christmas tree).”

Santa also has a new personality to match his dapper look – one that’s more rock star than cheerful. In one ad, Santa’s biceps roll a tree while running around a target. In another, he drives to work at Target to the tune of Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild.”

Target Santa has caught people’s attention both in advertising and outside of it. In one of the commercials, a Target shopper remarks that Santa Claus is “weirdly hot.”

People in the comments are even less subtle, as Target Santa appears to have taken off as the holiday season’s new star.

“Marketing needs a raise for this Santa!” one person commented on Instagram.

Another said: “I don’t know what to think about Santa being hot… I’m confused.”

A third added: “This is my favorite Christmas campaign ever?!”

A fourth wrote: “SOO GOOD.”

Comments on TikTok reflect the enthusiasm. One joked about wanting to see Santa during his shopping trip: “If they don’t have Kris K on staff at my local Target I’m going to sue for false advertising 😂.”

“But why did I get goosebumps?” Read another comment.

“This makes me believe in Santa Claus again,” said another.

Target buyers felt seen through the advertising campaign.

“I have to commend Target as a marketer. “Do they know their audience or do they know their audience?” a TikTok creator said in a video.

“The target knows its target,” one creator summarized.

Business Insider worked with analytics firm Numerator for a 2023 study of the average Target shopper and concluded that she is a white, suburban mother between the ages of 35 and 44.

In a statement sent to TODAY.com, Target said the origin of the advertising campaign was shoppers’ feelings of stress during the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“You start the holidays with nostalgia and a sense of the magic of traditions, but those feelings are quickly overtaken by a missionary mindset as time runs out,” the company says in a fact sheet.

Their new marketing strategy is designed to “uniquely illustrate Target’s magical role in helping consumers make the most of the holidays – no matter when, how or what they buy.”

Thus was born Kris K – a character designed to show how Target “helps guests navigate their stressful holiday shopping journey.”

“Always cheerful, helpful, charismatic, funny and quirky, Kris accurately emphasizes how Target store team members play a critical role in the unique Target guest experience throughout the holiday season,” Target added.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com