The Minions have become icons in their own right, so for the premiere of Illumination’s “Despicable Me 4,” the latest installment in the series the launched them to stardom, Universal Pictures just had to put the yellow, banana-loving, goggle-wearing creatures front and center. From popping up on the red (actually, yellow) carpet to mobile billboards around New York City, the Minions drove buzz for the new film and served as welcoming ambassadors for the premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall on June 9. Here, we break down three ways the brand capitalized on icons and visuals.
A CAST OF CHARACTERS
At the event, talent and filmmakers traversed a yellow carpet and posed for photos with life-size Minion characters. Twenty-five French bulldogs made an appearance, each dressed in Minion-chic overalls or goggle-adorned harnesses and accompanied by their own handlers.
The carpet walk delivered the brand a viral moment, too: Joey King, who voices Poppy Prescott in “Despicable Me 4,” strutted onto the yellow carpet guided by seven Minion-costumed dogs. Confidently holding on to all the leashes, the actress became entangled by a few, as the pups found their best angles for the cameras.
GIVEAWAYS GALORE
For the first part of the premiere event, Universal hosted a family fun day that included face painting of “Despicable Me” character art, airbrush tattoos, balloon artists and crafts like making friendship bracelets and coloring. All of the Minions’ favorite foods were served, with plenty of frozen bananas and ice cream to go around. The brand partnered with Chiquita, Pinkberry, Cold Stone Creamery and Volkswagen on activations during the event.
Attendees also collected Minions Crocs, Fart Blaster toys and Minion plushies and interacted with movie backdrops, such as the AVL Safe House, the headmaster’s office and a car as 12 Minions meandered around the space. Later, the Rose Theater for the “Despicable Me 4” screening was a sea of yellow as the audience members sported more than 900 handmade Minion hats.
PAINTING THE CITY YELLOW
Michelle Paris, svp-global special projects and events at Universal Pictures, says finding a family-friendly venue in New York City can be challenging, but the Jazz at Lincoln Center allowed the team to get creative with a new approach.
A tall 50-foot by 85-foot glass wall gave passersby along Central Park South and Columbus Circle a view of the “Despicable Me’d out” venue and generated promotion for the film, along with three yellow branded LED billboard trucks and a glass truck filled with two inflatable minions and yellow balloons that cruised around the city during the premiere.
“Utilizing the window walls within Jazz was something that we knew people from the exterior would be able to see as well. We’ve been to that venue many times, but this is the first time we did something on more of the visible side to bring the outside in,” she says. “We wanted to highlight Gru, as always, and the Mega Minions, who are new characters to ‘Despicable Me 4,’ so we leaned into that artwork.” Agency: 15|40.
Photo credit: Line 8 Photography
