Walmart Reimagines 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' With Walton Goggins as Scrooge

Following his epic turn as the Grinch from last year

Walton Goggins is back as the face of Walmart, this time stepping into the role of Ebezener Scrooge in a film inspired by The Muppet Christmas Carol. Riffing on that classic holiday flick, the spot finds Goggins surrounded by Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, The Great Gonzo, Rizzo the Rat and Pepé the King Prawn.

If you are a fan of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, you will get a kick out of seeing Stephanie Beatriz, beloved in the role of grumpy detective Rosa Diaz, as Scrooge’s cheerful niece. Kudos to the casting director for making this choice.

Directed by Randall Einhorn of Radical Media, the film launches Walmart’s broader “A Who Knew Carol” campaign. Through a series of videos and social content, the seasonal push finds the famously crotchety Scrooge discovering the plethora of gifts the retailer has to offer.

Play

Here, Fallon CEO Nikki Baker discusses how Walmart’s association with Goggins—who suited up as the Grinch in a Walmart Black Friday campaign last year—benefits the brand. She also delves into the making of the hero film.

Why is Walton Goggins a great rep for the brand? And what was it like seeing him as Scrooge?

Walton brings so much energy and dedication to everything he does. He has become a true partner to our team over the last year and a half. He genuinely loves the work that we’ve been doing, and that passion comes through on the screen. Seeing him step into Scrooge was amazing because he brought depth and warmth to the role. He played Scrooge with real human emotion, which made his transformation and his rapport with the Muppets genuine and so much fun to watch.

The hero film is quite a production. Can you tell me about the thinking behind it as well as the campaign in general? 

The Muppet Christmas Carol is a masterclass in reappraisal—it’s all about taking a second look. At the end of the day, we wanted to build a fun holiday story that’s entertaining while also authentically bringing Walmart in. The musical numbers are a critical piece to what makes the original a fan favorite. We wanted to honor the fandom by kicking off the campaign with a musical number similar to the film. This Walmart-inspired number kicks off the season by launching “A Who Knew Carol” and establishing the universe, before we roll into a continuous campaign across the coming months that spotlights brand-name gifts, Black Friday savings and Express Delivery.

What was the biggest challenge in making the hero film?

Ensuring we were honoring the original Muppet classic while making sure the film delivered on Walmart’s business goals. The production was built on physical sets full of Easter eggs nodding to the original film and new music. Standing on set with Walton and the cast, seeing the incredible detail in every prop and costume, made all the magic.

Why was Randall Einhorn the right director to bring it to life? 

Randall has an incredible background in comedy and TV, so he knew exactly how to direct big performances and keep the story moving. He handled our hero broadcast and OLV films brilliantly. At the same time, our social video content was directed by SARBY, which is made up of Sara Cummings and Abby Gross, two of our creative directors at Fallon. They brought a fast, digital and culture-first perspective that made the social assets feel just as engaging as the musical film. 

I loved seeing the two old guys from the balcony as the ghosts.

We couldn’t do this without bringing back Statler and Waldorf, who played the Marley brothers in the original, and their signature heckling energy is perfect for our NFL spots. Across the whole campaign, every Muppet had a specific role to play. We brought in classic favorites, new Muppets and created our very own Muppet [a blue Walmart bag called Bagsy who appears in other videos but not the hero video], all with a goal to honor the original story while celebrating the holidays with Walmart.  

How did you incorporate gifts into the film and into the campaign in general? I love the teeny tiny lava lamp Pepé the King Prawn is holding.

Gifts can definitely sit in the background, but we prefer bringing them naturally into the story. We think it’s an incredible creative challenge, and we want to share the breadth of the gift assortment at Walmart. Whether it is a high-end De’Longhi espresso maker or a funny little detail like that tiny lava lamp, we wanted every product to feel like an authentic part of the scene.

This film is spirited and fun. Do you especially enjoy bringing big holiday stories like this to life? 

The secret to a lot of our work has been what we like to call “cultural commerce.” If people are entertained, they really do want to interact with your brand. It’s always great getting to build a story that people actually want to follow along with throughout the season. When you start with a great brand like Walmart and then bring together an amazing cast, real physical craft and iconic characters like The Muppets, it starts to feel like genuine entertainment. The campaign is festive, funny, and, hopefully, a fun break in the middle of a busy season.

Related: Seth Rogen Visits Sephora for Holidays Gifts. And He Seems a Bit Confused