It’s the year of the Disney throwback, and our millennial hearts are all in, from the release of “Freakier Friday” to the Jonas Brothers bringing out Demi Lovato for a “Camp Rock” reunion at MetLife Stadium.
Nostalgia marketing is at the core of the first-ever Disney+ Throwback campaign, a summer-long celebration of ’90s and 2000s series and films, and to kick it off, the brand took over thrift store Rock Etiquette on Melrose Avenue in L.A. for a four-day activation in June that allowed fans to “step into the iconic fashion moments from all their favorite shows and movies and feel like they’re living in the world of the Disney+ Throwback collection,” says Scott Slesinger, director-brand and marketing strategy at Disney+.
Attendees who had booked a free online reservation (which quickly sold out) were welcomed into the transformed thrift store by familiar imagery, toys and props from throwback content available on Disney+ and Hulu. They received a custom Y2K zine, which served as a guide through the Disney+ Throwback Experience, in addition to brand ambassadors who talked up the pop-culture elements.
A bright, “pinkalicious” wardrobe portal transported fans into “The Cheetah Girls” recording studio. From there, recreated spaces included The Tipton Hotel bellhop desk from “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,” the Pink Slip garage from “Freaky Friday,” Luke’s Diner from “Gilmore Girls,” Mia’s makeover mirror from “The Princess Diaries,” Peyton’s Room from “One Tree Hill,” and “The Golden Girls” closet. Slesinger says attendees weren’t rushed through the experience, giving them ample time to soak in all of the show and movie worlds brought to life.
“It was cool to see which IP, stories and content different fans resonated with, and we could see which shows were important to those individual fans growing up,” he says. “We created a secret passageway that took you into the ‘Boy Meets World’ denim experience with wall-to-wall denim, and everything looked like it was styled by Topanga. That really resonated with our older millennial guests; though, I’d say the Gen Z guests had a higher affinity for the ‘Hannah Montana’ closet. It was special to see them stepping into this closet, a place that many people felt like they would never be able to experience in real life.”
More than 30 original costumes and props from the Walt Disney Archives were featured throughout the experience. The team zeroed in on IP that had a visual, recognizable identity to which fans would feel a connection and chose content from the streaming services that fit the thrift store’s fashion theme, Slesinger says. It was also an opportunity to give some love to fan-favorite titles and milestone moments, like the 40th anniversary of “Golden Girls.” A sweepstakes gave Disney+ subscribers and attendees the chance to win tickets to the “Freakier Friday” premiere.
Disney+ partnered with online consignment and thrift store ThredUp to offer a pop-up digital experience on the website where fans could shop looks inspired by characters from the throwback content. ThredUp supplied and styled 100 items for the experience, each featuring a QR code linking to a shoppable landing page. “That was a really great way to also get the word out to an audience that is a little bit different from our typical Disney fans,” Slesinger says.
The Disney+ Throwback Experience launched with an influencer, talent and press night, and the guest list was stacked with Disney stars, including Anna Maria Perez de Tagle from “Camp Rock” and “Hannah Montana,” Jake Thomas from “Lizzie McGuire,” and Jason Dolley and Mia Talerico from “Good Luck Charlie,” to name a few.
“We wanted that to feel authentic to the neighborhood, so we just went for inviting as many folks as we could fit into the space,” Slesinger says. “It felt like a reunion, all happening right off Melrose, and then we took over the parking lot and turned it into this block party with a dj and burger food truck… By bringing in influencers and talent, we were able to extend beyond what we could do from a traditional media placement.”
He adds that the success of the Disney+ Throwback Experience helped prove to the brand that consumers have an appetite for jumping into experiential worlds celebrating this era of content. This month, as part of the summer campaign, Disney+ is hosting themed pool parties called Disney+ Dive-In Theaters, in partnership with Swimply, a platform that allows homeowners to rent out their private pools.
“Experiential makes the campaign feel full,” Slesinger says. “It feels 360 degrees when you have this touchpoint, especially for a digital brand like Disney+, where all of our consumers are experiencing our content usually at home or with friends, but to be able to bring it into the real world is really special and spectacular.” Agency: Creative Riff.
Photo credit: Creative Riff
