Sears Brings Back 'Bluelight Special' To Reinvigorate Consumers

Slumping retailer Kmart is going old school and bringing back its iconic "Bluelight Special" marketing program in the hopes of reinvigorating consumers.

The Bluelight Special debuted in 1956 and was intended to spur sales of slower-moving merchandise. A voice would alert shoppers to a Bluelight Special over the store's speakers and brought the iconic "attention Kmart shoppers" catchphrase into pop culture.

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The promotional event ended in 1991, only to be brought back in 2001 – one year before the retailer went bankrupt and has been brought back sporadically over the years.

"It's part of our DNA," Kmart's President Alasdair James said, according to Business Insider. "We think there is a real positive buzz coming out of it and we expect to see an increase in sales."

Nostalgia At Work

James noted that the campaign is "intended to be an ongoing program." The executive cited months of research that suggested Kmart customers remember the Bluelight Special program from shopping on their own or when they were a kid and shopping with their parents. The company is hoping to leverage its findings as it bought the rights to George Kranz's 1983 dance anthem "Din Daa Daa" to accompany the blue sirens and "attention Kmart shoppers" catchphrase.

Is It Sustainable?

Naturally, much has changed in the retail sector over the decades. At its prime, Kmart didn't face competition from e-commerce giants such as Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN. Now, the retailer also competes with "cheap chic" retailer Target Corporation TGT, not to mention industry-giant Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. WMT.

"It is all about bringing fun back into the shopping experience," Kelly Cook, Kmart's chief marketing officer said, according to Business Insider. "We are giving you that spontaneous rush which is at the heart of why the Bluelight Special works."