Much Ado About Walmart’s “Who Knew?”

Walmart is rolling out a new ad campaign to “reintroduce itself” to the shopping public by emphasizing the breadth of its merchandise and service offerings. The campaign’s ads incorporate The Who’s 1978 song, “Who Are You,” with a twist: overdubbed on the title phrase is  “Who knew?”

The inaugural spot features veteran actor Walton Goggins, who skyrocketed to fame in the past couple of years due to his role as Rick Hatchett in the HBO series, “White Lotus.” Goggins starts his spiel from a sauna he bought from the Bentonville retailing behemoth. (The campaign kickoff also includes a separate Spanish-language ad, with actress Stephanie Beatriz at a gender-reveal party gone wrong.)

The announcement about the latest campaign came in the form of a “Letter to America” posted on Walmart’s website earlier this month. Here’s what that missive said:

We’ve been called a lot of things. A big-box store. A budget hero. Your go-to place for all your weekend errands. 

You’ve known us for years. Decades. We’re flattered.

But here’s the thing: we’ve changed. A lot. 

And we think it’s time to reintroduce ourselves.

We still do what we’ve always done — but we’ve also been busy.

Behind the scenes, we’ve become one of the most innovative retailers in the country. We’ve built a shopping experience that’s faster, smarter, more flexible and more digital than ever before to make things easier when you shop with us.

We now have:

• More than half a billion items available online and in our app
• Express Delivery to your door in as little as one hour
• A Walmart+ membership that gives you perks beyond groceries
• And a digital experience that’s, well… better than most people realize

If that surprises you — perfect. That’s kind of the point.

Introducing: “Walmart. Who knew?”

Our new campaign is built around that exact moment — the double take, the eyebrow raise, the whoa, wait Walmart energy.

Because the biggest surprise isn’t what’s changed, it’s how many people don’t know it’s already here.

“Walmart. Who knew?” is more than a tagline. It’s our invitation to take a second look at the new Walmart.

It’s for everyone who’s been shopping with us for years — and for those who think they know what we’re all about.

In its coverage of the campaign, Adweek reached out to Walmart to find out why they hired Goggins (aside from the fact that his first name is the same as the last name of the retailer’s founder, Sam Walton.) The answer: “Because his unexpected charm would help bring home our message,” a company spokesperson said.

The “Who knew?” campaign is part of an ongoing brand refresh Walmart launched in January.