With some of the best-grossing movies of all time turned timeless classics, Walt Disney Pictures knows a thing or two about promoting an upcoming flick. The media giant has recently shown that it also knows how to adapt its marketing strategies to today’s movie-goers with a clever campaign for the new live-action version of Cinderella.

Set to hit theaters in mid-March, the Cinderella re-make is getting its share of buzz through some more predictable tactics like trailer teasers on YouTube and a partnership with J.C. Penny to sell princess-inspired merchandise. But Disney takes it a step further than the buy-your-own Cinderella costumes with a unique new glass slipper campaign it recently launched.
Here’s the scoop. Just a few weeks ago, the company officially publicized its collaboration with nine high-end shoe designers (think Jimmy Choo to Stuart Weitzman) who have all created a version of what they imagine the modern-day Cinderella slipper would look like. With just a month until the movie hits the big screen, Disney released all of the sketches and samples and announced plans to sell the shoes in retail venues around the globe
Queue the shrieks of delight! To add to all of this excitement, Disney also shared its plans to include Cinderella-themed window displays at two prominent Saks Fifth Avenue locations featuring the shoe collection in early March.
So what has Disney done right here? A lot. The most notable success so far is probably the fact that the creative team has made the whole concept of having a “Cinderella moment” attainable to so many fans of fairytales – past and new. And it’s done so by partnering on a consumer item as universal and coveted as the shoe.
Plus, not so surprisingly, the talks of the glass slipper campaign have started to heat up online, caused a lot of chatter and resulted in a flurry of activity on social media. Consider the timing, the tactics and the target audience. Pretty good marketing for a new release, isn’t it?

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Case Study: Walt Disney Pictures

Posted by Erin Schroeder, Copywriter & Online Specialist