In the 20 years since “The Devil Wears Prada” premiered, the love for its characters, sardonic one-liners and cerulean fashion statements has only grown. So for the release of its highly anticipated sequel, “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” how could the marketing team approach, and build on, such a treasured cultural phenomenon? For starters, they love the first film just as much as the fans do.
“I can quote every line of the original, so that’s where we centered ourselves in coming up with a campaign that celebrates that amazing, beloved legacy, and yet takes us into the all-new movie in an all-new world 20 years later,” says Lylle Breier, evp-global marketing partnerships and special events at The Walt Disney Company. “We thought of it as a fashion collection to make sure that everything we did stands on its own, but also belongs together. We tried to be thoughtful and intentional about everything we did.”
Miranda’s iconic line from the first movie, “Everybody wants this,” became a kind of mantra for the team, Breier says, as they strategized the event side of the marketing campaign, which aimed to give fans a front-row seat to experience “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” without giving too much away ahead of its release on May 1 by 20th Century Studios.
Big Shoes to Fill, Literally
One of Disney’s “big and bold” teasers came in the form of a giant red shoe, with a pitchfork heel, displayed on a branded platform, starting on April 13 in high-traffic plazas and next to popular landmarks in Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami and New York. While a photo op in itself, the shoe installation was also accompanied by interactive touchpoints to amp up the engagement in a few locations.
For the first time ever, the fictional magazine from the franchise, Runway, was designed, printed and released as a real, 90-plus-page issue (with an online extension), and the May edition hit newsstands that popped up in major cities, including New York City and L.A., next to the heels.
Fans who stopped by received L’Oréal lipstick, makeup samples or copies of the issue, which featured Emily Blunt on the cover as her character Emily Charlton. Inside were spreads highlighting fashion influencers and content creators, such as matching couple Young Emperors and fashion designer and drag performer Ethan Mundt, known as Utica Queen.
“The magazine was a big start for some of the experiential. Once that magazine was printed in real life, we felt like, it’s real, it’s on,” Breier says. “We’re very, very proud of it, and it took a village. Monica Jimenez-Grillo on our creative team in our partnerships department came up with the idea, and then it took everybody in partnerships, creative, digital and strategy to come together, lock hands and make this a reality.”
The red heel display also arrived at Walt Disney World Resort’s Disney Springs entertainment district in Orlando, FL, along with a “The Devil Wears Prada 2” vending machine, stationed inside the AMC Theatres. Through May 3, the branded kiosk prompted fans to select their fashion emergency on a touchscreen, ranging from “runway strut gone wrong” to “Priestly-level crisis.”
After scenes from the movie scrolled on the screen, the machine dispensed a solution, like a L’Oréal Paris mascara, hairspray, a claw clip, a compact or even a Runway magazine. The kiosks also appeared at movie theaters in L.A.; Irvine, CA; Dublin, CA; and NYC.
A ‘Groundbreaking’ Premiere Event
Still, the biggest gathering of brand activations was at the world premiere of “The Devil Wears Prada 2” at Lincoln Center in New York on April 20, which Breier describes as turning the red carpet into a runway.
The venue’s entire courtyard was tented, and the ceiling was layered with silk and sheer fabrics to match the movie’s fashion-forward aesthetic. Hundreds of invited influencers and creators walked the runway and participated in the premiere event that was streamed live on Disney+, Hulu, TikTok and ABC News.
“We decided that we were not going to do a standard step-and-repeat or anything that looked standard at a movie premiere, but instead, we were going to make it feel like the fashion event of the season, and I think we were able to pull that off,” she says. “All of our partners really stepped up and created amazing activations that were part of the event to make it different and experiential.”
Partner activations included Dior’s VIP lounge, Samsung’s first-ever Runway Cam #withGalaxy on the red carpet, a Mercedes-Maybach shoe cam and custom-designed vehicle for the premiere, a Zillow elevator photo op, a TRESemmé hair touch-up station and a life-size Runway premiere-themed magazine cover by L’Oréal that attendees could step into.
In a red carpet stunt, Starbucks sent three real assistants and an intern to the premiere in green trench coats outfitted with cupholders to deliver coffee. Google brought to life Runway’s dreamy fashion closet with a virtual try-on activation, inspired by scenes from the new film, using its Try On tool. There, attendees also snapped photos with Miranda’s desk, a hallway of Runway covers and racks of fashion looks.
Outside of the premiere, partners kept the movie tie-in activations going. Grey Goose, which temporarily changed its name to Cerulean Goose, brought The Devil’s Roast pop-up carts to NYC on April 21 and 23, serving up a reimagined espresso martini inspired by Miranda Priestly’s coffee order and gold-dusted popcorn. Diet Coke put its own spin on the Runway newsstand in London and Manchester, UK, inviting passersby in for a Diet Coke break at the metallic, branded façade, alongside exclusive merch and a photo booth.
All told, Disney worked with 20 official “The Devil Wears Prada 2” promotional partners, with some collaborations two years in the making, Breier says, adding that once the movie was greenlit, the partnerships team jumped into action. The film’s marketing campaign has delivered historic results that the team is still gathering and analyzing, but for now, they can revel in the excitement with the fans.
“We wanted to make sure that the activations were very organic to each brand, but that they fit into our overall plan and the overall celebration of this beloved movie,” she says. “If you have the right partners and the right creative, you can do really fun things that can break through. That’s why we’re seeing so much culture-defining buzz.” (Agencies: Experiential Supply Co., red heel installations, newsstands, vending machines; 15|40 Productions, Lincoln Center premiere; Shadow, Google activation)
Inside ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Campaign:
Photo credits: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Mike Coppola, Dave Kotinsky, TheStewartofNY/Getty Images for 20th Century Studios; Line 8 Photography
