I can’t say that I’m a huge LOST fan. In fact, until the finale I hadn’t watched a single episode all the way through. I tend to stay away from programs that string viewers out from week to week, and no show has done that better than LOST this side of Dallas.

That said, I thought it would be interesting to catch the final episode, so I sat down and tried to make sense of it along with everybody else. Most notable to me—no surprise here—were the commercials, which were selling for nearly a million dollars a spot. Of specific note were the Target commercials.

If you saw the show, you know what I’m talking about. Target always does a good job with its advertising, but it took unique advantage of this television event by having fun with historical LOST plotlines, tying them to computer keyboards, barbeque sauce and smoke alarms, among other things. The products themselves didn’t matter, as they were just pegs for the inside jokes.

Those jokes are what was so smart about Target’s strategy. By tying its spots to LOST’s imagery and icons, not only did the commercials command viewers’ attention, they effectively said, “Hey, Target’s a LOST fan too. We get it.” It was as if Target had been sitting down in front of the tube right alongside every LOST viewer for the past six years.

People do business with people they trust, and sharing common experiences builds trust. During the LOST season finale, Target reinforced its friendship with millions of customers who are fanatical fans of the show. Whether it sells more barbeque sauce or smoke alarms the next day isn’t the point. Advertising is about building awareness, preference and bonds of affection, and Target used its multi-million dollar LOST buy to do just that. Bravo.