Campaigns That Went Higher, Further, Faster
What do you get when you mix one of the top pilots in the world, alien abilities, and the 1990's? You get a powerhouse film set to break each and every record. In Marvel's historic first female-led title film, Captain Marvel flew into theaters March 8th, breaking the box office and boasting the best brand campaigns 2019 has seen to date.
So, who made the list this time around? We're glad you asked. In this blog, Hollywood Branded brings you the top brand partnerships with Captain Marvel... no spoilers, we promise!
Glowing Reviews: Captain Marvel Is On Fire!
Since smashing into theaters March 8th, Captain Marvel has knocked out the competition at the box office, delivering a whopping $153M domestic opening, and over $455M worldwide -- and that was just the first weekend. Tracking reports from Box Office Mojo estimate the female-led flick to cross the $600M mark over its second weekend even with newcomers entering the arena, and could even cross $1B in worldwide gross earnings. Not too shabby at all.
CBS Films young adult romantic drama, Five Feet Apart, starring Cole Sprouse (Riverdale) and Haley-Lu Richardson (Edge of Seventeen), opened in theaters Friday, March 15th, alongside Paramount and Nickelodeon Animation's Wonderpark, and Focus Films Captive State with John Goodman (Roseanne). All films look to play in very separate fields genre-wise, but ultimately, expected to live in Captain Marvel's shadow as her box office domination continues for the month of March.
Is it Captain Marvel or Carol Danvers? We don't quite know, and neither does she! Set in the nostalgic 1990's, the newest installment of the expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe dawns over a new day with the historic first female-led feature film of the franchise.
After crash landing on a seemingly alien world, Earth, more specifically a Blockbuster Video, the extraterrestrial Kree warrior, Vers (later know as Captain Marvel), who finds herself caught in the middle of an intergalactic battle between her people and the Skrulls. Living on Earth in 1995, she keeps having recurring memories of another life as U.S. Air Force pilot, Carol Danvers. With help from Nick Fury, Captain Marvel tries to uncover the secrets of her past while harnessing her special superpowers to end the war with the evil Skrulls.
Helming the cast as the glowing super-woman, Marvel newcomer Brie Larson (Room), touting a shiny 2015 Oscar from her win as Best Actress in a Leading Role, helms the crew of first-time faces to the franchise and returning roles. Star War's leading man, Ben Mendelsohn (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) takes on the nefarious role of Talos, Captain Marvel's long-time enemy. Joining her in the fight is Jude Law (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald) as Yon-Rogg, and Samuel L. Jackson, reprising his role once more... but this time as a much younger and two-eyed Nick Fury.
But, we know you're here for the knock-out campaigns. So, without further ado, Hollywood Branded presents the top brand partnerships with Captain Marvel!
1. Alaska Airlines
In promotion of the high-flying theatrical release, Marvel Entertainment partnered with Alaska Airlines for a Captain Marvel inspired plane. As part of her backstory, Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel), was known to be one of the best pilots the world has ever seen, and after gaining superhuman abilities she flies higher, further, and faster. Thanks to Alaska Airlines us regular heroes can take flight with Captain Marvel herself with the customized Boeing 737-800!
The plane features a 63-panel decal of Captain Marvel that covered approximately 970 square feet of the aircraft, and debuted on February 19, 2019 at Sea-Tac International Airport with a gate celebration for guests flying to Orange County, California. Guests who travelled the Captain Marvel-themed plane saw the film logo when they boarded and also saw an image of the cat named Goose (who has turned into a huge internet sensation since the film's release) who tagged along as a surprise sidekick on the plane's winglet.
For those who are unable to be full-time Jetsetters and take advantage of the themed flight, there's a ray of hope. Alaska Airlines held an online sweepstakes dubbed The Captain Marvel Flyaway sweepstakes for movie fans for a chance to win a pair of tickets to the film's premiere. Prizing included roundtrip airfare and hotel accommodations for two in Los Angeles, and was open to U.S. residents over the age of 18 and ran from February 6th through February 8th, 2019.
As an added bonus in co-celebration of International Women's Day, Alaska Airlines highlighted their own Captain Marvel's on staff, including pilots, attendants, and many more -- one of whom even attended the premiere! To read more about the amazing women working to inspire younger generations to pursue aviation check out their online blog!
2. Dole
This next campaign brings the high-flying superhero back to Earth as Marvel Entertainment and Dole teamed up for an unlikely co-promotion called "Powering the Hero Within" in support of women's health.
In celebration of the female-led film, Dole acknowledged the influential real-life women in health, food, wellness, and non-profits. Some of the female heroes the partnership featured included First Lady Abigail Adams, and Christine Mosely, founder and CEO of Full Harvest, and Elizabeth Kunz, CEO of the non-profit Girls on the Run International.
“We’re applauding the women everywhere who use their powers, whether supernatural or every day, to fight for a healthier and more equitable planet,” Lisa Overman, director of marketing for Dole, said in the official press release. “At the top of this list are all the female farmers, chefs, doctors, nurses, dietitians, scientists, engineers, philanthropists and others who have sacrificed over the years to give us a more fulfilling, nutritious life.”
In addition, Captain Marvel promotional packaging saw characters were printed on tens of millions of stickers for Dole bananas, as well as hang tags on pineapples sold in both the U.S. and Canada. Online promotions via bloggers and influencers gave the campaign even wider reach with original recipes and content in relation to Dole registered dietitians to address female health and wellness. To check out some of the recipes follow the link to Dole's official Pinterest page!
3. Dave & Buster's
Rounding out are top brand partnerships list comes the dynamic duo, Dave & Buster's, who together with Marvel Studios Entertainment brought fans of the film franchise a custom Marvel-themed arcade game, which debuted just ahead of Captain Marvel's theatrical release.
Marvel's Contest of Champions arcade game launched across North America in 122 Dave & Buster's locations, allowing fans to play against each other with their favorite Marvel super heroes including Black Panther, Iron Man, and the titular character of Captain Marvel. By starting a new game, Dave & Buster's attendees earned a new Champion Card and duelled against their opponent. With over 70 Champions to collect – and more being added soon! – players could build their roster of fan-favorite Marvel Champions and fight against the computer or friends in real-time.
Giving the campaign another set of legs, Dave & Buster's promoted the arcade game with a TV spot (above) and promoted the game's unveiling across their social media channels, tying in the theatrical release of Captain Marvel which opened in theaters March 8th. Online, Dave & Buster's website boasted a co-promotional banner where users could click to find a location near them, and were encouraged to see the film.
Suit Up For More Marvel-lous Marketing!
When it comes to blockbuster partnership campaigns there's nothing better than knocking out the competition, and with some out of the comic-book thinking every brand can become a superhero in marketing!
Interested to see other successful brand partnerships? We have you covered! Check out some of our other blogs on previous promotions and marketing strategies, and see what some out of the box thinking can do for your brand when it comes to entertainment!
- Top Brand Partnerships With Ant-Man And The Wasp
- Top Brand Partnerships With Aquaman
- Top Brand Partnerships With Sony's Venom
- Top Brand Partnerships With Deadpool 2
- The Avengers Save The Day For Brand Partnerships
Ready to start getting your brand in TV shows and feature films? Then check out our Product Placement & Promotions 101 Guide that you can download below!
