Bullseye is a fictional Bull Terrier and the official mascot of Target Corporation. The dog is featured in Target's commercial campaigns and in-store signage, and is used in various marketing campaigns. Bullseye is portrayed by female dogs.[1]
History
The original Bullseye mascot that debuted in a 1999 commercial[2] and was portrayed by American Kennel Club Champion Kingsmere Moondoggie, known as "Smudgie".[3] In 2014, the mascot was depicted by a dog named Nikki.
There are multiple dogs who play Bullseye, taking turns during different promotional campaigns.[4] Each Bullseye actor has a pure white coat and has the logo of Target, shaped like a bullseye, painted around its left eye, which is the origin of the mascot's name. The makeup used on Bullseye is all-natural and non-toxic.[5] Bullseye dogs live on a ranch just north of Los Angeles trained by David McMillan, operator of Worldwide Movie Animals (WMA).[4] In 2004, American artist Amy Brazil was commissioned to paint an 8-foot by 8-foot portrait of Bullseye, which now hangs at Target corporate headquarters.[6]
Bullseye is used for marketing, and merchandise has been produced based on the character. The first toy depicting Bullseye, a stuffed toy, was released in 1999.[1] The mascot has since appeared in various forms of merchandise, including a Transformers toy.[7]
See also
- List of individual dogs
References
- Emma Taubenfeld. Who Is Bullseye? Everything You Need to Know About the Target Mascot Reader's Digest, 2021-10-07, retrieved 2025-05-12^
- At Target Field, a bullseye view of the game Star Tribune, 31 March 2012, retrieved 2021-04-21^
- Target through time.