Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Does this very long word sound familiar or is it just some gibberish you cannot really pronounce? Mary Poppins was an important part of a carefree childhood era to many, but to some, especially the millennial generation, it is just an archaic fictional character they do not know much about. This week’s egtabite features an innovative format from RMB’s creative unit called FLASH, aiming to reconnect younger audiences with the famous character, right in time for the Mary Poppins Returns movie release.
A creative case
The in-house Content and Creativity Unit of RMB, a sales house in the south of Belgium, called FLASH, was in charge of the creative format for their client Walt Disney Pictures.
The main premise behind the promotional campaign was to inspire young adults and families with children and help them reconnect with the most famous nanny in the world. One challenging aspect of the campaign was establishing a bond between young audiences and Mary Poppins, considering the five-decade gap since the initial movie release.
The two main goals of this creative format were to re-create a magical universe that is in line with Mary Poppins’ universe as well as to conduct a powerful, viral communication campaign just before the movie’s release.
A Belgian influencer
What better way to relate to young audiences than to select an ambassador for the movie, a popular figure who is a millennial role model and who is already associated in the viewer’s minds to Mary Poppins?
Therefore, FLASH assigned Loïc Nottet, a renowned Belgian personality, dancer and singer who became popular thanks to The Voice, the music talent show, in Belgium, as a brand ambassador for the Mary Poppins Returns movie. Due to Loïc’s talent, powerful community of Belgian social media followers and great singing and vocal capabilities, FLASH decided to make a 120-second musical video clip where he sang and danced to the famous song Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. The song and the dance were chosen by the client, Walt Disney Pictures, while the costume design and some improvised dance moves were done by the cast and the singer himself, who already became popular with the very same song in the Dancing with the Stars show in France in 2015.
There were many elements in the video clip that helped illustrate the magical universe of Mary Poppins, such as unique, flamboyant clothes, the neoclassical interior of 1930s Concert Noble ballroom in Brussels, and dance moves from the last century. All these were more than enough to create an instant and clear association with the famous Disney movie, while the face of Loïc was recognisable to the Belgian audience.
The 20-seconds trailer of the two-minute video clip promoted Season 8 of the Belgian version of The Voice as well as the arrival of the famous Disney sequel to the Belgian cinema.
FLASH further reinforced the viral buzz before the movie premiere by creating a social event around the filming of the clip. Loïc Nottet was generously giving interviews to the press, taking pictures with his fans, explaining his emotional connection to the movie and even sharing popcorn with the audience in the cinema hall.
The filming of the clip was then broadcast live online (on Disney’s and Loic Nottet’s Facebook pages), while a 20-second trailer promoting The Voice and Mary Poppins Returns’ premiere was broadcast on television. The broadcast on both social media and TV channels created an anticipation and a very special feeling for the movie itself.
In the end, the whole creative campaign turned out to be a remarkable success. It resulted in great social media and press coverage in Belgium and France, as well as a creative award for the sales house and the media agency who collaborated to make this project happen. The costumes used in the video clip, designed by the singer, were later auctioned off for the benefit of Viva for Life.
Future steps
Due to the great recognition the creative campaign received, a similar one was conducted around The Avengers movie with a famous Belgian football player Michy Batshuayi Atunga, whose personal path was well-aligned with the superhero movie plot.