Disney’s $10 million punt for The Mandalorian and Grogu in the Super Bowl was intended to be a crowd-pleasing flex, but instead, it has been a lightning rod for criticism regarding the studio’s marketing of its biggest franchises and the effectiveness of the spend.
Fans argue Disney’s Super Bowl ad felt unnecessary
The ad, which was made for the game and ran for 30 seconds, was directed by Jon Favreau and wasn’t a scene or sequence pulled from the upcoming movie. Rather, it was made specifically for the game and drew on the traditions of the old Super Bowl beer ads, with a healthy dose of humor and nostalgia thrown in for good measure. On the surface, the ad has a lot going for it: Favreau directing, Star Wars front and center, and the most expensive ad spot in the US. The reality is, however, that a lot of people left the ad and the game with a lot of confusion, not a lot of excitement.
The loudest criticism of the ad wasn’t necessarily that it was bad, but that it was unnecessary. While fans of the ad called it “cute,” the reality is, as the critics quickly pointed out, that the ad is the kind of thing that would work on the Disney Channel or as a promotional piece on the internet, not as a Super Bowl ad intended to sell a movie.
Another issue is the tone. The references to beer commercials didn’t quite land with a large portion of the audience. For a brand like Star Wars, which has typically been associated with mythology and spectacle, the “wink, wink; nudge, nudge” approach feels out of place. For many fans of the brand, one of the complaints is that these outside references dilute the brand. They’re appropriate for Happy Meals, but not for winning over viewers and convincing them to go see a movie. The irony is that Disney did manage to accomplish one thing: get people talking. The hashtag is trending, and the conversation is immediate. In terms of getting visibility, it’s a success. However, getting visibility without getting understanding is a double-edged sword. Weeks after the game, the common consensus is that people still don’t know what The Mandalorian and Grogu are actually about and why they need a cinematic upgrade.
