The top 6 Spider-Man: Homecoming ads ft Dell, NBA, Audi, Tim Smart, Pizza Hut & Compare the Meerkat
Spider-Man: Homecoming, the third Spider-Man reboot in fifteen years from Sony Pictures has been well serviced in the marketing department by a studio keen to recoup its production costs in what is proving to be a convoluted, yet fruitful, commercial partnership with Disney.
Spider-Man: Homecoming branded ads
Previews show the movie is reviewing well, boding well for the extensive marketing efforts that included brands including Dell, NBA, Audi and many more.
While Disney’s Marvel retains Spider-Man merch rights and takes a fee to integrate the character with the lucrative Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Sony retains movie rights and will take the full box office and branded marketing revenue from Spider-Man: Homecoming. Clouding the waters, Spider-Man will appear in MCU flicks for free – a truly symbiotic relationship.
Sony Pictures has by all accounts taken advantage of the commercial opportunities available. Here are some of the leading, but by no account all, of the branded videos surrounding the movie.
Dell
Dell and Sony were leading partners with activity including a gamified billboard in New York's Time Square.
NBA
Having already tied in with tech and gaming, Spider-Man broached into the world of sport with a slew of cameo-filled NBA slots – that come together below clocking in at two and a half minutes of reference laden action.
Audi
Tom Holland's Spider-Man can traverse New York in minutes; Peter Parker however is less lucky. Here he is testing out a new Audi. Also in there is a gratuitous Sony Xperia smartphone placement. Read more about it here.
Tim Smart
Here's where it starts to get a little odd. This Italian slot is certainly the most catchy.
Pizza Hut
Those who come bearing Cheesy Bites are as heroic as Spider-Man in this Pizza Hut slot.
Compare the Market
Spider-Meerkats as this season's next big toy thanks to Compare the Market in the UK.
Outside of these branded efforts, Spider-Man: Homecoming stuntman Chris Silcox, [READ the guy who does all the Spider-Man stuff], climbed many of London's tallest towers in a dizzying PR stunt.
According to data from Amobee, the following brands ranked the highest digital content engagement between 5 June and 5 July, around the movie.
1. Lego
2. Hot Toys
3. NBA Finals
4. Audi
5. Sphero
6. Starbucks
7. Dell
8. Goodwill
9. Ralph & Russo
10. Armani
Jonathan Cohen, principal brand analyst at Amobee, had praise for the Audi Driver's Test ad: "Featuring Tom Holland in character as Peter Parker behind the wheel; it told a short story that felt completely authentic to the world Homecoming created while at the same time showcased Audi A8’s innovative safety features with a focus that wouldn’t have been possible through just through traditional product placement.
"The Audi A8 has been substantially more associated with Safety in digital engagement since the spot was released; highlighting how creative solutions around native advertising can situationally be extremely impactful. The Spider-Man: Homecoming movie doesn’t need to overtly mention the Audi A8's AI remote parking for the campaign to be effective; it just needs to feel like that happened."