For back-to-school season this year, Target tapped a cast of children to write, direct, illustrate, perform and style its advertising campaign. Working with Deutsch L.A,, the Minneapolis-based retailer tried to think like a parent instead of a brand to create more than an ad.

"We wanted to go beyond what's on the school lists," said William White, VP-marketing at Target.

The strategy was especially key in reaching Hispanic families, who comprise a growing portion of the retailer's shopping base. At the Ad Age Brand Summit in Los Angeles this week, Mr. White talked about how the company's first-ever kid-created campaign strengthened the Target brand, its results and how the company plans to top the effort in 2017.