Brand partnership revenue for Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse is poised to become one of the largest for Sony Animation as names like Nike, Tencent and McDonald’s join the holiday marketing blitz.
The film will receive $115 million from global brands ahead of its December 14 release, Deadline Hollywood reports, outpacing the $80 million brand partnerships for The Grinch. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is expected to earn upwards of $30M at the domestic box office.
“The message of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is that anyone can wear the mask—it’s who you are that makes you a hero. That’s a message that resonates with these incredible global brands and sets a tone that this film will go beyond the box office to become a true worldwide event,” said Sony president of worldwide marketing and distribution Josh Greenstein.
That same tone will be integrated into each brand campaign as brands bridge the gap between product placement and real-world application.
One of the first brands that fans noticed in the Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse is Nike. The film’s main protagonist, a boy named Miles Morales, is seen wearing classic Nike Jordans. Nike is collaborating with Marvel and Sony to release the hero’s shoes into the real world for purchase.
Tencent QQ is launching a campaign to reach its 800 million users in China that will include augmented reality, digital stickers and traditional display advertising for Into the Spider-Verse. The app will also make an appearance in the film.
Synchrony Bank is hosting an experiential pop-up in Brooklyn that recreates locations from the movie and will adapt its “Save Like a Hero” campaign to include Spider-man themes.
Holiday travelers may catch a glimpse of Spider-man and his friends from the movie, as well. Genting Cruise Lines is hosting a Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse experience that include interactive activities and themed meals.
Of course, no superhero film would be complete with a toy line in time for holiday gift-giving. Special toys can be found inside McDonald’s Happy Meals and in stores with a series from Hasbro. There’s no toy inside, but General Mills Cereal launched a campaign for the film and printed Spider-Verse characters on 12 million boxes of breakfast cereal.
Other brand partnerships include Vodafone, Garmin, Wacom, Adobe and The Ad Council, which will launch an anti-bullying campaign starring the film’s characters.
