What is Disney’s strategy?
Koreaboo
On May 23, various posts in online communities highlighted Disney KoreaThe “advertising strategy” of for the next live action disney movie The little Mermaid, stir up controversy.
Netizens claimed that Disney Korea ads featured prominently NewJeans member Danielle while “hiding” the main actress of the film Halle BaileyHer presence.
In 2019, Halle Bailey made history by being cast as the first Black Ariel, which sparked controversy around the world. Many Koreans have expressed their dislike of Halle Bailey’s casting by commenting on various The little Mermaid content, which only amplified this situation.
Danielle starred as Ariel in the Korean dubbed version of the movie, and the video of her singing “Part of Your World” got a lot of attention. Although some criticized her Korean accent, many praised her beauty and singing skills.
Netizens in online community posts pointed out that promotional kiosks for The little Mermaid featured Danielle rather than Halle Bailey. They claimed the ad would trick kids into thinking Danielle is the “real” Ariel by the way they were”greeted by commercials with Danielle as they entered the movie theater.”
Another post showed a TV ad featuring Danielle’s “Part of Your World” video to promote the film.
They didn’t understand why they would show the voice actor’s face more than the actual actress’s.
Aren’t they supposed to show the main character’s face, not the voice actor? lol this is not an animation…
— Net-citizen
Others stated their confusion over why they wouldn’t show the real Ariel after “the headlinesabout casting the first black actress to play her.
They made headlines about how they launched a black Ariel and then didn’t even show it in the trailers? What is Disney’s strategy?
— Net-citizen
It has also been mentioned that Halle Bailey is often depicted from afar or as a silhouette. Official Disney Korea YouTube Channel Trailer Thumbnails Differed From Walt Disney Studios‘ in that there was no close-up on Halle Bailey.
In response to these posts, reviews were mixed. Some have suggested that the strategy was to spark curiosity by hiding the protagonist in the trailer only to surprise viewers with the actress’ appearance in the actual film. Others argued that since Danielle sang the Korean OST, there was no problem showcasing her in commercials.
In the meantime, The little Mermaid will be released on May 24 in Korea.
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