D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event is designed for passionate superfans who arrive with carefully crafted game plans to maximize their experience. To earn their attention, brands that exhibit at the Anaheim Convention Center (this year’s show floor, Aug. 14-16, was the largest one yet) have to match that intention. So, Disneyland partner and D23 sponsor Honda brought some moves. (Agency: Baylor Group)
- Match the energy.
“The energy from the moment you walk into that space of D23, the way that the event is crafted for the fans is really beautiful,” says Jennifer Symington, avp-marketing at Honda. “On that first morning when the gates open, people flood in, and they have a favorite, a primary destination.”
Honda’s “Encanto Dance Experience” invited attendees to perform a little cumbia and salsa in front of a vibrant backdrop with a digital character from the movie. In the downloadable video, Mirabel, Isabela, Luisa or other Madrigal family members virtually joined the participant, grooving and twirling across the screen.
- Design with purpose.
Honda brought the Casa Madrigal to life in the booth with Colombian-inspired décor, bright florals and greenery. The florals extended to the 2027 Honda Odyssey and 2026 Acura MDX on display, with flower arrangements on the minivan’s roof and house- and nature-themed decals on the vehicles’ exteriors. Product specialists were also on hand to answer questions.
“The magic of that house is really built on doorways, and one of the things that the Honda Odyssey has is a lot of doorways with great function in the operation and configurability of our vehicle,” Symington says.
- Make it last.
One of the biggest draws was the set of free pins attendees received upon checking in—tapping into the tradition of pin trading at Disney Parks. The seven pins highlighted “Encanto” characters, D23 and Honda’s partnership as the Official Vehicle of the Disneyland Resort.
Post-event, the Honda team will build in “a reflection period” to review what worked and what could be improved for the future, according to Symington, and Honda is looking at how it will continue to build brand affinity through its Disney relationship, which includes serving as the new presenting sponsor for Movie Nights at Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort.
Starting Sept. 9, Disney will be showing family-friendly, Halloween films on the lawn every Wednesday in September and October, and Honda will be hosting trunk-or-treating for parkgoers to come by and grab a treat from the back of a Halloween-decorated Honda Odyssey.
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