Target's Black Friday Secret Weapon: Martha Stewart on Four Loko

In the midst of a "bleak retail environment," Target's 2009 two-day Black Friday doorbuster sale was its biggest ever. As the clip above reports, its website alone drew almost 600,000 unique site visits and an average of 9 minutes per visit (and north of $150, it seems, in average sales) for its best Black Friday ever.

Its secret weapon, beyond Facebook tie-ins and clever digital marketing? A comedian named Maria Bamford, who played (north) polar opposite sisters — think Liz Lemon's mousier first season persona vs. Martha Stewart on Four Loko — in last year's campaign.

Hoping to set another record holiday frenzy, Bamford's back again this year — and winning kudos from fans for her six-part series of Black Friday tips driving shoppers online and to Target stores. Check out her psycho shopper schtick after the jump.

With shades of Amy Sedaris as domestic goddess, Bamford's character is not only featured in the TV/Web spots, but is tweeting as @ChristmasChamp (with the amusing bio, "xxx.") Her 2010 Target holiday campaign has attracted postive Twitter, Facebook and YouTube comments such as "she's the best thing to happen to Target." 

So is she the female counterpart to Isaiah Mustafa's breakout turn as the studly Old Spice man this year? They certainly share the same creative parents, as this campaign and Old Spice's TV and social media campaigns both come from W+K.