The devil wears Old Navy? Inside Hollywood’s favorite movie marketing blitz

By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN

(CNN) — What would Miranda Priestly say about being associated with a pair of drug store nail clippers?

Ahead of the release of “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” grooming company Tweezerman launched a limited-edition collection of tweezers, nail clippers and nail files in a licensing partnership with the film to promote the hotly anticipated sequel.

Miranda, who embodies what it means to live at the unattainable top of the luxury fashion food chain, would never.

From the outside, yes, the brand collab-heavy roll-out around “The Devil Wears Prada 2’s” has seemed like a lot – branded Diet Coke packs, Starbucks commercials, special Smartwater bottles and lots of things that don’t involve beverages. Some of those partnerships have seemed like the antithesis of the chic vibe that’s been the film’s hallmark since 2006.

But, like a lumpy blue sweater that wants its cerulean origins to be told, there’s more to the story.

First, it’s important to understand the difference between official collaborations and licensing deals. In an official capacity, the movie paired with: L’Oreal Paris, Smartwater, Diet Coke, Starbucks, Samsung Galaxy, Lancôme, TRESemmé, Havaianas, Grey Goose, Google, Mercedes Benz, Tiffany & Co., Dior and Valentino fragrance.

Meanwhile, many other brands entered into licensing partnerships with the studio, including Walmart, Tangle Teezer, Old Navy, Lulus and Tweezerman, which is why you’re seeing the “Devil Wears Prada 2’s” logo on a pair of nail clippers.

On the official side of things, Lylle Breier, EVP of partnerships, promotions, synergy and events at Disney, told CNN the studio’s aim was to curate a campaign that felt “like a fashion collection,” something that made sense together but had unique qualities, too.

Major motion pictures partnering with brands to promote movies is the norm now, a practice that has evolved as quickly as technology has since the iPhone was invented in 2007, which can sometimes feel like an attack on your nervous system.

It’s become a lot less about producing collector’s edition action figures for McDonald’s Happy Meals and more about creating a cultural moment – a phrase that came up a lot when Breier discussed their strategy for the sequel – to sustain a movie’s lifespan in the conversation.

“Barbie” – which, to be fair, was a movie about a toy – proved that there was very little in the way of collabs movies couldn’t at least try to make work. See: the “Barbie”-themed candle that aimed to capture what one candle executive called a “new doll smell.” (“Barbie” was produced by Warner Bros., which shares a parent company with CNN.)

Riding that pink tailwind came “Wicked,” which partnered with over 400 brands in licensing deals, including Elphaba-inspired Crocs and green-colored macaroni and cheese.

More recently, the orange-drenched marketing strategy for Oscar-nominated movie “Marty Supreme” promoted pricey windbreakers and sneakers with the film’s title splashed across it. It also promoted a smattering of bright orange table tennis supplies, including a nearly $1,000 table tennis table in a collab with Joola.

Television shows can fall victim to the oversaturation, too. CB2 offered up “The White Lotus”-themed plate sets and Compartes sold exotic chocolate. Of course, those were at least products you might find at a fancy, murder-prone resort.

Marketing campaigns – however overstimulating they may seem – help studios spread the word about a movie so people will go see it, and when people see movies, the studios make money so they can make more movies.

Alison Bringé, CMO at Launchmetrics, a data and technology company that helps fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands grow their business, told CNN that the numbers don’t lie: The “Barbie” movie’s collaboration with Zara generated $11 million in media impact value, a term created by Launchmetrics that helps the marketing industry professionals understand the monetary value of digital marketing. “Wicked’s” partnership with star Ariana Grande’s cosmetic company r.e.m. beauty drove $15 million media impact value, according to the firm.

For both the film studios and the brands who are the financial beneficiaries of these deals, these partnerships are win-win situations, Bringé said, in that “they’re central drivers of how a film reaches new audiences and converts cultural attention into commercial momentum.”

What does all that mean? Where does that money go? It’s hard to be specific but one thing is true: consumers are the ones forking over the money.

A timeless tale

It’s been 20 years since audiences first met Hathaway’s Andy Sachs, a college grad who clomps her way in sensible shoes through the halls of Runway Magazine as she navigates an out-of-character job as an assistant to the most powerful woman in fashion, the titular devil played by Meryl Streep.

Streep earned an Oscar nomination for her performance as the icy editor and the film earned more than $326 million worldwide at the box office, a sizable success for a film with a $35 million budget.

The sequel centers on Miranda struggling to keep up with her former assistant Emily Charlton (Blunt), who is now a rival executive, while navigating a fraught print industry and mulling over retirement.

The brands that the movie partnered with were chosen by Breier’s team and the filmmakers as part of building excitement for what they’re hoping will be the “movie-going event of the season.”

“If you look at our spots, and there’s a lot of them and a ton of content, we’re not using a lot of footage from the movie,” Breier said. “We’re not giving the movie away. We are celebrating it.”

The movie probably doesn’t need that much help. One needn’t look further than the fashion fervor that’s followed the stars across the globe ahead of the May 2 theatrical release.

Hathaway strutted down the red carpet at the New York premiere in a crimson custom Louis Vuitton by Nicolas Ghesquière gown. Blunt wore a gothic Dior stunner with a tutu in London. Streep went with a smartly tailored midnight blue Saint Laurent look in Shanghai.

The stars have been delivering the kind of high-fashion moments the industry at the center of the film salivates over, studies and celebrates.

Well, maybe not all of them have been high fashion.

Appearing on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” earlier this month, Streep wore a custom J.Crew blue sweater in a nod to what Andy wore in the first film during Miranda’s iconic fashion rant. You can buy your own cerulean replica of the knit for $49.99 at Old Navy as part of a licensing partnership with the sequel.

Well, you could have. It’s currently sold out.

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