It’s been five years since Disney Branded Television has released a new installment from its “Descendants” franchise. So for the July debut of the fourth film in the fantasy series, “Descendants: The Rise of Red,” the brand aimed to reignite the fandom with a family-friendly premiere event infused with pop-up performances and meticulously curated design schemes that had 120 influencers and young talent capturing content from every corner.
From the get-go, the crimson-drenched event, hosted at the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, CA, strayed from the standard film premiere. As talent walked the 60-foot-long step-and-repeat, both actors and media members were unaware that Disney had planted photographers and security guards in the press line to prepare for the spectacle ahead. Then at just the right moment, influencer duo Twin Sauce popped out of the crowd and performed a dance routine choreographed by one of the brand’s righthand partners. The performance was repeated later to ensure everyone got a chance to experience the surprise-and-delight moment.
“One of our goals was to incorporate the ‘Descendants: The Rise of Red’ world of dance and music [into the premiere] because they are such a big part of the film,” says Katherine Nelson, svp-communications and publicity at Disney Branded Television. “In terms of overall mood, we were trying to go for something energetic and upbeat and dynamic and fresh, and to bring the colors in from the world, but really hone in and make dance and music the front and center focal point of the premiere.”
At a typical movie opening, Disney Branded Television has both talent and influencers walking the red carpet. But for “The Rise of Red” event, the company took a different route in an effort to inspire more UGC. While actors were in the arrivals line, influencers were invited to partake in a series of curated photo vignettes spanning a Queen of Hearts throne, a graffiti wall and a heart-shaped rose topiary. Later in the evening, talent and other guests were encouraged to participate in the photo moment, while the creators got a chance to take a spin down the red carpet and gather even more footage at a 360-degree photo op.
“It’s thinking about the influencer POV—what are they going to be capturing?” says Emma Quan, director-events at Disney Branded Television. “And what we thought about in advance was the storybook characters and talent imagery. So, where is the Disney+ and ‘Descendants’ title treatment showing up, and if people take pictures of things from certain angles, is that really going to make it onto their Instagram feed or their TikTok?”
Following the red-carpet arrivals, attendees were shepherded into a custom-built, 600-person movie theater awash in red and equipped with a 5.1 surround-sound audio system. There, Disney Branded Television’s president offered a few remarks to kick off the screening portion of the evening as soldiers from “Red’s Army” stood motionless around the room. Then as the screening time drew near, the queen’s army was “activated” alongside live drummers, and another high-energy, surprise dance performance broke out.
When it was time to move on to the afterparty at the sound stage next door, the brand created a seamless journey guided by Red’s soldiers, who danced their way over and encouraged attendees to get into the spirit and shake a leg. Even the outro music that played as people left the theater followed them into the closing event.
Upon entering the afterparty, attendees were first met with larger-than-life storybook pages that welcomed them into the event and prompted plenty of photo ops. Inside the main footprint, as the dj from Disney Channel Nite at Disneyland spun teen-friendly hits, a vast array of photo-worthy designs and décor awaited. Among highlights: castle turrets positioned on the stage and at the bar, graffiti-style gobo lights projected onto the surrounding curtains, and a massive recreation of the dance floor from the film that featured a “Cinderella blue” color scheme (each main character in the film is associated with a specific color).
“We kept saying, ‘Dance is front and center. We need a bigger stage, a bigger dance floor,’” says Quan. “But the thing that made it feel super immersive and very in-world was the castle motif from Auradon Prep. The stage had the castle turrets and then the bar had the castle turrets, so it felt like you were immersed into the courtyard in the film amongst this red environment. It was very immersive and not like any sound stage you’ve probably seen before.”
Naturally, more performances awaited attendees at the afterparty. This time, Twin Sauce returned to perform to a different song, while dancers from Millennium Dance Complex also popped up with a surprise choreographed routine. Rounding out the engagements was a series of glam stations where attendees could adorn themselves in “Rise of Red”-style accessories like eye gems, temporary tattoos and hair tinsel.
In the end, “Descendants: The Rise of Red” garnered 6.7 million views within its first three days on Disney+, propelling the film into the coveted spot as the most-viewed original Disney Channel movie premiere in the brand’s history. We’d call that “happily ever after.” Agencies: Mirrored Media, creative and production; ShowPro, lighting and a/v.
Spin Through the Premiere:
Photos: Courtesy of Mirrored Media
