• by Sarah Mahoney , February 11, 2026

With the Winter Games well underway in Italy, two retailers are flying remarkably different flags. Walmart is rolling its “Who knew?” campaign in a new direction. Instead of the punchy humor, fronted by actor Walt Goggins, the new spots star a wobbly young figure skater. And Hobby Lobby is pivoting from its arts-and-crafts roots, with spots highlighting all the different DIY options it offers for home decorating.

In “Here’s to Starting,” Walmart says it wanted to shift the Olympic focus from gold medals to first steps. “The great didn’t start great,” the tagline says. “They just started.”

While the brand has spent the last year proving its massive assortment, this evolution focuses on access, the company says in the announcement. And it aims to position the retailer as something larger than an every-errand destination, but “as the starting point for every journey.”

“This spot let us move beyond rational retail proof points and focus on a more emotional truth — the moment when someone decides to begin,” says David Hartman, Walmart’s vice president of creative, in the announcement. “Walmart doesn’t just sell what you need to get started; we help make that first step feel possible.” 

A collection of Publicis Groupe agencies, including Fallon, Leo NY, and Digitas, created the spot, which is airing on NBC, including CNBC and USA. And it is streaming on Peacock during the Olympics.

Hobby Lobby is also asking shoppers to see it differently. With “Home is what you make it,” the retailer is focusing on people’s efforts to personalize their homes, using house numbers and location names to carve out their own identity.

The Fold, an agency based in Provo, Utah, created the campaign.

Ads are running nationally on network broadcasts and streaming platforms. “The objective was to broaden perception beyond crafts and reinforce Hobby Lobby as a full-home destination,” a spokesperson says. “The creative showcases a range of life stages and living spaces, from college dorms to multigenerational homes, reinforcing the idea that home is personal and customizable at every stage of life.”