Ellie Kemper Says She ‘Prizes’ Comfort in Style as She Embraces Her New Role as ‘Kohl’s Mom’ (Exclusive)

Ellie Kemper is here to prove that it’s never been easier to step out in style.

The actress, 44, has teamed up with the retail giant for their latest campaign, where she embodies the role of “Kohl’s Mom” – a supportive figure offering practical and stylish solutions for other moms. And, for the first time, she doesn’t have to act at all.

“I will not be doing any acting in the role, because I am basically a Kohl’s mom in real life,” Kemper tells PEOPLE exclusively about taking on the part. “I would say the main difference is that I don’t necessarily in real life interact with customers as much as [this] Kohl’s mom does. She’s always there to offer advice or a stylish eye.”

Kemper offers up plenty of praise for total strangers’ style in the new spot, where she tells one customer, “You look like you’re ready to walk the red carpet,” and another, “You’re never too much.” And she shows off some dance moves, too.

As a mother of two boys — James, 8, and Matthew, 5, whom she shares with her husband, Michael Koman, 48 — Kemper appreciates stores that serve as one-stop shops for the entire family.

“I love a good deal – I get that from my own mom,” The Office star says. “I can get so many must-have items at Kohl’s,” she adds. That includes, “high-quality beauty products or home accents for me at good prices, which is always very nice and feels like a good form of self-care.”

Filming the campaign was a blast for Kemper. “Because Kohl’s is open during the day for shoppers, we were able to get into the store at night and that alone was so much fun,” she says. “It felt sort of like a slumber party. You’re in the store after hours. I was like, ‘Are things going to come alive at night?’ 2:00 a.m., 3:00 a.m. everyone was full of energy. A lot of the people from the Kohl’s side were also moms and dads, so it almost felt like a little bit of a vacation from our kids, but it was fun to be in it together.”

For the campaign, Kemper wore “the most stylish outfit I’ve had on in months,” including an LC Lauren Conrad sweater, Levi’s jeans and Nine West shoes. “I don’t always have the ability to put together an outfit stylishly. I often need help,” the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star explains. What I love about LC Lauren Conrad is that the outfits are kind of already put together for me so I can buy it and immediately feel stylish.”

Kemper adds, “As a mom, I am always wondering what is a shoe I can wear that looks good, but also allows me to run after my five-year-old because he is a runner and he is regularly running away from me. There’s a loafer from Nine West that checks all those boxes of having a stylish shoe and running after my kid when he comes out of school.”

The Bridesmaids actress also leans on athleticwear with a stylish design, such as FLX, which she says is a must have for on-the-go parents and “working adults,” Kemper explains.

As a working parent, Kemper’s perspective has shifted towards a balance of style and comfort, and she enjoys rooting on other parents looking for the same. “I do prize and really prioritize comfort in my style, and I feel like one key thing is reaching out to fellow parents and feeling like, ‘Okay, we’re all going through similar experiences,’” she tells PEOPLE. “Supporting one another like that I think is very helpful.”

Beyond this campaign, Kemper is focused on continuing to spread joy and uplift others. “I love being part of a campaign that I can speak so organically to. That actually brings me a lot of joy,” she says. “I have a podcast called Born To Love, and it’s also about looking for joy in the everyday. And so the two are going hand-in-hand, finding the joy in life.”