OOH Case Study

Wall-E Problem How does a well-established studio introduce its fan base to its latest character?

Solution Use large format executions to make the new character a household name.

Background The PIXAR brand is well-established as the gold standard in animation, so each successive film has to deliver on those expecta- tions. This time PIXAR was working with a character who was not intrinsically relatable. A robot from the future does not elicit an instant connection the way superheroes, dolls, cars, fish, or even monsters in your closet do. Successful PIXAR characters evoke an emotional response with all age groups, so the studio needed a way to humanize Wall-E into a relatable character.

Objective Disney/PIXAR’s Wall-E presented two inherent obstacles. First, the film had to create its identity in the super-competitive summer movie slate. Faced with a line-up that included Iron Man, Hancock and the latest installments of the Indiana Jones and Batman series, Wall-E needed to be a household name well before opening weekend. Second, the film had to find and establish a fan base.

Strategy Wall-E had to become someone, not something. So Disney/PIXAR used two consecutive phases of posting to showcase Wall-E and his person- ality. A simple, white creative introduced Wall-E to the audience and a second phase allowed the audience to get to know him. Because Wall-E is from the future, using some of the newest media vehicles enabled the campaign to blend today’s landscape with that of tomorrow.

Plan Details Plan Details Markets: Top 10 DMAs Flight Dates: May - June 2008 Out of Home Formats Used: Bulletins, wallscapes, transit shelters, wrapped commuter trains, wrapped subway trains, Metrolights

Using one of Disney’s iconic permanent bulletin locations near the El Capitan Theater, we added GlowSkin, a cutting-edge electroluminescent technology, to make Wall-E glow at night.

Results Wall-E opened #1 with a $63 million opening weekend! Although it is difficult to quantify the results pertaining to out of home specifically, as this was part of an overall marketing plan, the film performed strongly in the 2008 summer season. Wall-E was the top-grossing G-rated film of 2008, delivering an impressive $223+ million domestic.

Outdoor Advertising Association of America