How Disney Bought Sequel To $386M+ International Opening

When it got here to opening a sequel to a traditional animated film, Disney didn’t relaxation on their laurels in promoting Moana 2.

Already, the unique 2016 2x Oscar nominated film has a built-in trustworthy; the pic being one of the vital considered Disney films on Disney+. Increasing the model to a worldwide viewers, the Burbank, CA lot executed a multi-prong, bespoke D-Day world advertising marketing campaign, one whose stunts arguably rivaled that of Common’s blitzkrieg for Depraved. Whereas that Broadway musical adaptation had LEGOs, Mattel dolls and dear shopper vogue apparel, Moana 2 roared with a drone present over the Thames river, projection mapping on the cliffs of Capri, Italy, an immersive 3D LED Tunnel 360° “Gallery” in Florence, Italy; an enormous digital splash round Korean’s Shinsegae division retailer, in addition to beach-themed takeovers.

There was additionally a $100M worldwide promotional companion marketing campaign, curated by Lylle Breier, Disney EVP of Partnerships, Promotions, Synergy & Occasions and her crew, that model listing together with a Moana 2 Hawaiian airways wrap-around airplane, Ono Hawaiian BBQ, California Pizza Kitchen, Verizon, Oral B, a customized mission with in-game patch notifications for Minecraft, Higher Bitter gummies, Enterprise Hire-A-Automotive, 100 Coconuts water, EVA NYC hair care merchandise, jet ski and boat rental company GetMyBoat, amongst many others.

Lest we overlook about half billion-plus sturdy social media powerhouse Dwayne Johnson. His appearances included, however weren’t restricted to, kicking off Moana 2‘s marketing campaign at April’s CinemaCon in Las Vegas with the pic’s first footage unveiled. This adopted by an enormous stage look at Disney’s D23 fan confab in Anaheim in August together with Moana herself, Auli’i Cravalho, to not point out a hysterical ESPN spot with former NFL participant Troy Polamalu; the latter joking about how he appears demigod Maui.

iSpot weighed the TV spot U.S. spend for Moana 2 at $20.5M, in comparison with Paramount shelling out $34M for Gladiator II and Common’s close to $26M expense on Depraved. The worldwide P&A spend per sources was round $120M.

It’s a advertising push that not solely yielded a report 5-day home opening of $221M, notably over a Thanksgiving vacation, however one of many prime openings worldwide for an animated film with $386M+.

Different fruits from Disney which can’t be ignored is how Moana 2 pulled in a really numerous viewers within the U.S. and Canada with 36% Hispanic and Latino moviegoers main, adopted by 27% Black in addition to 11% Asian American.

Asad Ayaz, Disney’s Chief Model Officer and President of Advertising tells us, “The central concept of the advertising marketing campaign is the return of Moana, Maui and their crew: ‘We’re again’ very like the very first music within the film. Moana is again together with a solid of beloved characters.” Ayaz orchestrated the sequel’s marketing campaign together with Disney EVP of Advertising, Martha Morrison, and EVP Inventive Advertising, Jackson George.

Certainly, the studio is again. Disney, which had as soon as dominated the vacation stretch pre-pandemic with animated films corresponding to Moana, Coco, Ralph Breaks the Web and the Frozen franchise appeared to have misplaced its method with bombs corresponding to final 12 months’s Want and Unusual World. That’s till CEO Bob Iger introduced again in February throughout an earnings name that they have been flipping the Moana Disney+ collection into characteristic animated sequel. It was all a part of Disney Leisure Co-Chairman Alan Bergman’s plan to double-down on in style IP within the library, whereas restoring the studio’s fame for prime quality household leisure after the string of fluff pumped out aggressively for its streaming service throughout former CEO Bob Chapek’s tenure.

The Disney advertising for Moana 2 leveraged notable media milestones in the course of the course of the 12 months to introduce the expanded worlds of Moana and Maui, learn moments such because the Olympic Trials and the Paris Summer time Olympics in addition to fall TV premieres. The intent of every reveal and activation was to sign Moana 2 as a cultural moviegoing second for 2024, whereas additionally sending the message in regards to the heighten stakes and visible animation scale for the sequel.

Advertising intelligence dictates that studios when promoting a characteristic musical, ought to conceal such elements of their trailers. The notion is that characteristic musicals are a turn-off for many moviegoers. Nonetheless in case you ‘trick’ them, and so they thus love the musical as soon as they’re in, enterprise is golden. Nonetheless, Disney didn’t shy from promoting Moana 2 as a musical. Disney discovered marketing campaign beats to introduce 5 new songs by The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical songsmiths Emily Bear and Abigail Barlow. The sequel’s first ditty, “We’re Again” was first launched to exhibitors at CinemaCon again in April. That music together with “Past” additionally performed in early spots and trailers with digital spot drops on DisneyMusicVevo in late September and early October. “We’re Again” was even featured as a music for a Moana-themed efficiency on Dancing With The Stars‘ Disney Evening. Bear and Barlow additionally carried out the songs in a small Hollywood membership date earlier than the pic opened to social media influencers and press. The duo additionally took over Instagram with an unique editorial piece and the film’s songs on the flagship @Instagram account which reached 676M-plus followers.

Trailer viewership at all times says all of it in terms of massive field workplace {dollars}. The teaser trailer for Moana 2 dropped on Might 29 throughout Disney, Walt Disney Animation and Disney Princess social handles, racking up 178M views in its first 24 hours, and turning into the most-viewed trailer of all-tie for a Disney animated film. On Aug. 9, the second trailer launched out of D23 garnering over 126M views in its first 24 hours, making it the most-viewed trailer to debut out of D23 and surpassed the second trailer for Inside Out 2. 

Benefiting from the Olympics, Moana 2 had a customized one-week sponsorship integration in the course of the summer season video games that featured broadcast spots amongst different on-screen parts. A primary for Disney, the sponsorship additionally prolonged into the NBCU digital platforms, together with social and Peacock.

“One other main theme was bringing the attractive island atmosphere, the sand, the seaside and environments of Moana again into the world with massive stunts and in surprising methods” says Asad about one other massive element of the marketing campaign. This included projection mapping for Moana 2 on the cliffs of Capri in Italy along with a sail boat. There was additionally Moana-themed set takeovers throughout Jimmy Kimmel Reside!, The View, Reside with Kelly & Mark, ESPN Sports activities Middle and extra. In Korea, there was a visible poster show at Haeundae beachside primary street in the course of the Busan Worldwide Movie Pageant on Oct. 2. There was additionally a Moana 2 tie-in with Univision’s Quien es la Mascara? (The Masked Singer) with a beach-to-set in-show backstage takeover section and toss to particular look on Nov. 24.

Variety sides of the sequel’s push included a flower crown making section to kick off a week-long takeover on Univision’s Despierta America along with a Polynesian Dancers bit. Moana 2 star Auli’i Cravalho had a multicultural press day with Univision and Telemundo. Media placements aimed toward Latino and Hispanic moviegoers included spots on Telemundo, Univision, ESPN Deportes, Latin Grammy Awards, FireTV Spanish Language Characteristic Rotator.

“It calls to the significance of Moana to the studio. It’s the largest film of all-time on Disney+,” says Ayaz on the mammoth advertising for Moana 2.

“The characters attraction to so many alternative audiences all over the world. In selling the sequel, we needed to not solely deliver audiences again to Motunui, however we knew we had a chance to increase the viewers even additional with Moana 2.”