Meet Alex from Target

[bigvalboy]

Just fun stuff.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_freP-G5Hk

[rvwnsd]

That's funny.

[bostonman]

This whole thing is very intriguing. Looks like "Alex from Target" was an unwitting internet guinea pig.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/03/alex-from-target_n_6095038.html

[BSR]

He seems like a sweet kid. With Christmas shopping season beginning (it now starts after Halloween - eek!), Target should use this kid to bring his hundreds of thousands of fangirls into the stores. Hopefully the kid makes a bundle of $$$ from whatever advertising campaign he's featured in.

[justaguy]

BSR, I also thought he was a sweet kid. I hope he does well.

[liubit]

Sweet, indeed, with a fabulous smile....

[tyro]

Qt3.14!

T

[maninsoma]

I liked his comeback to Ellen when she was trying to figure out if he had a talent he could reveal now that he's enjoying his 15 minutes of fame: I guess I bag groceries really well.

 

As to the sudden explosion of fame, it seems like the water is murky. The original photo was taken and tweeted by someone not affiliated with Breakr, the internet marketing group claiming to be behind Alex's sudden rise in popularity, so the phenomenon did, in fact, start organically. Apparently someone at Breakr then decided to use the photo to test how powerful exploiting a cute teen boy's image to a market of a bunch of teen girls could be. Turns out one can quickly make a celebrity this way, but this is hardly news.

[bostonman]

I liked his comeback to Ellen when she was trying to figure out if he had a talent he could reveal now that he's enjoying his 15 minutes of fame: I guess I bag groceries really well.

 

As to the sudden explosion of fame, it seems like the water is murky. The original photo was taken and tweeted by someone not affiliated with Breakr, the internet marketing group claiming to be behind Alex's sudden rise in popularity, so the phenomenon did, in fact, start organically. Apparently someone at Breakr then decided to use the photo to test how powerful exploiting a cute teen boy's image to a market of a bunch of teen girls could be. Turns out one can quickly make a celebrity this way, but this is hardly news.

 

I'm curious to see how Target will make use of all of this. Since Alex has quickly become a national "celeb" of sorts (not just something local to the Texas store he works at), will the company try to make him part of their ad campaigns? We're used to celebs endorsing products, or "characters" created to do that - from Ronald McDonald to Flo - but it seems rare that just an "ordinary person" becomes a symbol like that. We shall see...

[bigvalboy]

I'm curious to see how Target will make use of all of this. Since Alex has quickly become a national "celeb" of sorts (not just something local to the Texas store he works at), will the company try to make him part of their ad campaigns? We're used to celebs endorsing products, or "characters" created to do that - from Ronald McDonald to Flo - but it seems rare that just an "ordinary person" becomes a symbol like that. We shall see...

 

I would love to see Target take this further, but I rather suspect that his 15 min of fame is rapidly coming to a close. He is a cutie pie, and whatever happens, I wish the young man all the success in the world.

[fedssocr1]

Apparently some crazy teenage girls are sending death threats to his girlfriend.

[Diverdan]

I wish him well... he is cute and the way he handled himself with Ellen shows both some class and sophistication... not sure if he was coached for that stint, but Ellen does a great job with ordinary people.

[+ deej]

I would love to see Target take this further, but I rather suspect that his 15 min of fame is rapidly coming to a close.

 

Yeah, like most internet memes the expiration date comes quickly.

 

But while it was going on, the Target corporate Twitter account did tweet "We heart Alex too". They're aware.

[Steven_Draker]

... not sure if he was coached for that stint

 

Most Talk Shows on TV are staged and dialogues are scripted.

[MsGuy]

Most Talk Shows on TV are staged and dialogues are scripted.

 

Nooooooooo!

 

http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx68/skyfallen_meli/Gifs/Shocked.gif

 

Tell me it's not so!

[Decatur Guy]

He seems like a sweet, together-kid. And he does have a great smile. I hope this burst of publicity treats him well.

[armadillo]

Beauty is skin deep????

 

Please tell me he isn't going to wind up pierced and painted 2 years from now.

[armadillo]

A follow-up to Alex of Target fame. He is now relegated to stockroom, harassed at high school and has reservations being outside. Fame has its costs.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/13/style/alex-from-target-the-other-side-of-fame.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar%2C%7B%221%22%3A%22RI%3A11%22%7D&_r=0

[bigvalboy]

A follow-up to Alex of Target fame. He is now relegated to stockroom, harassed at high school and has reservations being outside. Fame has its costs.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/13/style/alex-from-target-the-other-side-of-fame.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar%2C%7B%221%22%3A%22RI%3A11%22%7D&_r=0

 

Who would have guessed. Poor kid.... Fifteen minutes isn't what it used to be.

[fedssocr1]

"Then his manager from Target, Molly who is a senior in high school..."

 

A high school senior can be a manager at Target!?! No wonder all those credit card numbers got stolen.