Disney and Aussie Bum in Avengers deal
Disney has partnered with men’s underwear brand Aussie Bum in a product placement deal for the upcoming release of Marvel film The Avengers.
It is the first product placement deal negotiated by the DisneyMedia+ division, which was set up a year ago, and is part of a long-term brand partnership negotiated by its Disneymedia+ division.
In the film, The Avengers’ heroes including Iron Man (Robert Downey Jnr), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Captain America (Chris Evans) are seen alongside billboard ads for Aussie Bum within the set.
Charlie Coleman, general manager of promotions for Disney EMEA says the “holistic” partnership between Disney/Marvel and Aussie Bum includes a broad co-branded marketing campaign that is yet to be finalised.
It will include sponsorship of the UK premier later this week and branding within cinemas and outdoor advertising.
“It’s about being part of the zeitgeist and creating a moment for a brand. They saw an opportunity to partner with something Marvel and it makes sense for marvel to partner with something cutting edge and very now,” says Coleman.
Coleman adds that the product placement deal demonstrates the opportunities for brands to align with Disney’s future releases from a very early stage.
Disney has previously highlighted the opportunity that Marvel offers the entertainment business to communicate better with male audiences as its better known brand franchises are more family oriented.
The Avengers movie Avengers Assemble is the first Marvel film that Disney has had the full rights to since acquiring the comic book franchise in 2009.
It also features Marvel characters The Hulk played by Mark Ruffalo and Black Widow played by Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury.
