The Marketing of Pixar’s UP

The BudgetUp is one of Disney.Pixars most successful films, as it comes from a wealthy successful background its budget was not going to be cheap.Up has an estimated budget of $175,000,000 .

However as it was anticipated Up was an automatic success with the following figuresOpening Weekend:$68,108,790 (USA) (31 May 2009) (3 Screens) Gross:$293,004,164 (USA) (5 November 2009) (IMDB) How did

they do it?

Step 1- Interesting marketing stunts

In the Cannes Film Festival in May 2009 , Disney/ Pixar had assembled this interesting and eye catching stunt to promote the film up, it was by attaching numerous balloons identical to the CGI formed balloons in up, to an object similar to the house used, this was very impressive and has been mentioned in the all time greatest marketing stunt online.

Step 2-Construct a ‘Teaser’ Trailer

As with most disney/ Pixar films a teaser trailer was constructed prior to the release of the full trailer, this excites the audience and gives then a taste for what was about to come.

Here are few things about Teaser trailers that make them a key part of marketing a film such as ‘Up’• It was shown around July 2008, which was a few moths before its release in 2009• It was shown mainly through YouTube, which is reasonable sensible considering the amount

of Disney Pixar fans on the internet, even a glimpse of a new creation would be exciting for them.

• It did not show the name of the film or the companies who are producing it, however a genre was introduced as it was Animated.

Step 3- Create a gameDisney/Pixar most of the time will develop some form of gaming to market their film, usually it will be available on all major platforms Sony/Microsoft Xbox/Nintendo. Also as the years have passed and technology advancements have progressed Apps have been made available for download on Android/Apple iTunes.

A good way of marketing a film would be gaming as it allows the viewer to get to know the characters and the plot of the film better. Below are some of the games that were released around the same time as the film (Some before some slightly after).

Step 4- MerchandiseDisney/ Pixar dominate when merchandising a product, this is because if their market being children and the demand for themed toys accessories for children. As Disney have their own stores to sell the products, making Up merchandise available was no issue, they were also sold in other stores.

Below are some examples of merchandise that was sold before and after the realise to up the campaign.

Step 5- PostersPosters are a key part of marketing as they allow the future audiece to take a glimpse at what is to come, if constructed correctly they can lead an audience waiting for the films release.

Up carefully constructed their posters to only show key information and to not give away much about the film, posters were released at different times prior to the release of the move that would list the release date, some were released during the films viewing stages which had labelled ‘ In cinemas now’.

On the next slide there are few of the posters used by Disney/ Pixar to promote UP.

This key piece of information is present on all posters as it is vital for the future audience to be aware of.

I have included this poster as it is foreign advertising, it is similar to the US/UK advertising scheme. This shows how big Disney/ Pixar go with advertising.

Step 6-Oficial website/ Facebook Page

Most Blockbusters will have an official website dedicated to the film, however with UP like most Disney/Pixar Films there is a small area dedicated to them on the Pixar website. This adds a professional element and also allows viewers to browse through other Pixar films.

However, there is a facebook page dedicated to UP, which shows the films trailers, plot and gives interesting facts about the film. The facebook page also interacts with its subscribers by asking questions on post such as “Who is you favourite character?”. By using theses kind of techniques it allows the viewers to get to know the film and find out different facts related to UP.

Step7- Release a Sneak Peak Video

A sneak peak is not a teaser trailer or an Official trailer, it is a combination of both, Disney/Pixar constructed their Sneak Peak carefully, by including previous Pixar Hits to add suspense for what was about to be released. I have embedded the link below so you can see the information released and what is held back (If you have watched the film). It was released in December 2008 which was 4 months before the actual relase.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KucalLVWHR0

Step 8- Release the Official Trailer

The actual trailer was released March 2009, 2 moths prior to the release of the movie , this is perfect timing for an official trailer to be released,. This is because it ensures the viewer is captured by some key scenes in the film ad the wait until the release isn't long so it would fill them with excitement. By releasing an official trailer it brings your marketing campaign into full swing, after its all hype building to the movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkqzFUhGPJg

Step 9- Internet Forums and Threads (Gossip pages)

There are various minor and major internet discussion boards regarding Disney/ Pixar's UP, they are solely used to spread the word about the film. However mostly they are realised after to almost give a verdict on the film, when used effectively they can Add viewers input which is valuable to other viewers when considering the film. Pixar Talk is probably the most recognised , as it is fully operational blog dedicated to Pixar.