Has The Walt Disney Company lost its marketing mojo?
Disney’s latest failure to launch is the recent release of Pixar Studios’ Elemental film. Frankly, its flop is about as surprising as a traffic jam in rush hour. Disney has long reigned as the king of animated storytelling and cinematic marvels, but even the most powerful ruler can stumble. The House of Mouse has found itself in the perplexing predicament of failing to market its movie releases effectively.
This unexpected misstep has caught the attention of devoted Disney fans, who anxiously await the studio’s success, and eager critics, who can’t help but relish in its growing failures. Even a Disney Imagineer has weighed in on the drama. Let’s break it down and examine what might be going wrong here. Has Disney’s marketing magic simply foundered, or is it actually experiencing a backlash due to its “woke” ideologies?
It’s Elemental, My Dear
Elemental did not fall flat due to its lack of marketing. In fact, Pixar advertised the film at every chance it got. Yet, amidst the flurry of trailers and promotional campaigns, the studio inadvertently missed the essence that made this film unique. The previews painted a picture of a forgettable romantic comedy, veiling what set the story apart from other Disney offerings.
However, this might have actually been done on purpose. With Florida Governor Ron DeSantis coming down hard on Disney, the company has been attacked by conservatives who feel it has abandoned them for a liberal social agenda. This hasn’t put the breaks on the entertainment giant’s inclusion of characters with different backgrounds, but it might have scared the marketing teams just enough to pull back a bit.
In doing so, we got trailers and previews that screamed mediocrity. The film’s marketing did nothing to entice Disney’s more conservative fans to embrace it and also failed to make it stand out for liberal audiences. Elemental might have tropes of a traditional romantic comedy, but its essence is a tale of growing into oneself as a child of immigrants while still holding on to one’s cultural customs. Did any of the marketing even remotely hint at this? This is Disney’s major mistake. Curious potential theatergoers felt no need to rush to cinemas because they expected an entirely different film based on the trailers.
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The Response to This Disney Failure
Multiple fans have made it clear that Disney did a disservice with its marketing for Elemental. TikTok user @nicolebrennan.draws recently posted a rant about this issue, saying that people actively thought the marketing for this movie made it look stupid. In fact, most were only convinced to go to the theater when hearing by word of mouth that it was not the movie advertised in trailers.
@nicolebrennan.draws Replying to @Lillith Pixar marketed #Elemental horribly #pixar #disney #animation #movies #trending #fyp
Furthermore, a former Disney Imagineer even took to Twitter to question just what Pixar was trying to do. “I knew Elemental was coming out. I didn’t know when or that it did Friday,” he stated, “I have no idea what that movie is about.”
Is it me, or as Pixar films just not getting the marketing push they used to?
I knew Elemental was coming out. I didn't know when or that it did Friday.
I have no idea what that movie is about.
— Kevin Lively (@Livelyland) June 18, 2023
His tweet has been met with opinions on both sides of the aisle. Some shared similar feelings and decided to wait for streaming due to the uncertainty. Several blindly gave it a chance and believed the movie’s true theme was amazing. Others think that Disney is too caught up in telling adult stories masked as cartoons, forgetting that the films should be made and marketed for children.
That’s great and all… but kids don’t give an F about that. They want Spider-Man, Mario, Minions, and talking animals. They can care less about some adult story masked as a cartoon. Until that is understood, you will see Bomb after bomb for Pixar
— Michael Sheehy (@MichaelSheehyJr) June 18, 2023
Elemental‘s failure is another misstep for Disney as it navigates a divided fanbase. In introducing its audience to its Disney+ streaming platform, the company now has to work harder to sell its movies and get them to the theaters. The back-and-forth discussion about why a movie failed is hard to pin down when so many factors are considered, but it is clear that something has changed lately, and it isn’t in Disney’s favor.
