New York, USA – Magnite and Disney have announced a two-year deal extension. As the relationship grows into its sixth year, Magnite continues to be Disney’s preferred supply-side technology partner. Disney leverages Magnite’s technology to monetise its ad-supported inventory across the company’s entire portfolio. Magnite facilitates transactions for all more than 30 DSPs that Disney works with.

With the expanded relationship, Disney will also leverage Magnite to, execute one-to-one deals with key buyers through Magnite’s ClearLine offering; monetise College Football games on live streams on ESPN; support LATAM expansion in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Argentina; and offer podcast inventory via PMPs, including ESPN and ABC News podcasts.

Sean Buckley, chief revenue officer at Magnite, said, “We appreciate Disney’s confidence in our long-standing relationship and look forward to working with their team to deliver exceptional advertising experiences across every consumer touchpoint.”

He added, “In addition to our role in enabling Disney’s programmatic transactions, we’re actively innovating in new areas like live streaming to bring added value to our partnership.”

Meanwhile, Jamie Power, SVP of addressable sales at Disney, commented, “Disney is committed to driving automation and executional ease for our clients. With all our streaming inventory available programmatically, Magnite remains a key technology partner supporting Disney’s advertising business.”

He added, “Magnite plays a critical role in allowing buyers to access Disney’s inventory by connecting to more than 30 demand-side platforms in the US and starting to expand globally. In this rapidly evolving marketplace, Magnite consistently scales its capabilities to meet client needs, helping us stay ahead of emerging market trends.”

Singapore – OCBC and Disney have announced a five-year strategic collaboration across three of the bank’s five core markets – Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. The collaboration helps OCBC’s ambition to grow its new-to-bank customers in Southeast Asia four times within five years.

OCBC will be the first regional bank in Southeast Asia to roll out a comprehensive programme that includes branded card designs, marketing activations and financial literacy content inspired by Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars characters and stories. 

These will enable OCBC to create special retail banking experiences and products, including a rewards programme that features Disney+ Premium or Disney+ Hotstar Premium subscriptions in Singapore and Malaysia, as well as special Disney-themed premiums.

By mid-2025, select OCBC cards and bank accounts will feature Disney designs or be bundled with Disney premiums and merchandise, such as limited edition OCBC pins.

The collaboration kicked off in Singapore with the soft launch of the OCBC MyOwn Account on the OCBC app. For the official launch of the OCBC MyOwn Account, OCBC will deck out its Wisma Atria branch with Disney- and- Marvel-themed photo zones, featuring beloved characters such as Stitch, Elsa and Anna, Iron Man, Captain America and Spider-Man. This is the first time in Singapore where consumers will have the opportunity to ‘meet and greet’ a special friend from Disney’s Stitch.

Financial literacy content in the form of comics, activity sheets and resources for young savers will be available digitally on the OCBC app, OCBC website, and in print at the OCBC Wisma Atria branch, to be used with guidance from teachers and parents. These comics feature beloved Disney characters Ralph and Vanellope from Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph. 

The comics provide financial literacy tips using Disney stories to make the reading experience more engaging and relatable. More than 100,000 physical copies of the comic will also be distributed to students at 110 secondary schools in Singapore.

Sunny Quek, head of global consumer financial services at OCBC, said, “We deeply value collaborations that drive beyond-banking experiences for our customers and enable us to differentiate ourselves in the market. We are excited to be the first bank in Southeast Asia to launch Disney-themed cards and offer customers special experiences inspired by Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars characters and stories. Disney characters evoke an enchanting and nostalgic emotional connection that resonates with the young and young at heart.”

He added, “Collaborations like these enable us to attract new customers and bring to the market products and services that are not based on pricing or rates alone. I am therefore confident we will accelerate our acquisition of new-to-bank customers across our Southeast Asia core markets in five years.”

OCBC’s rewards programme will benefit select debit and credit cardholders, as well as OCBC 360 Account customers in Singapore and Malaysia, and Young Nyala Account customers in Indonesia.

Singapore –  Coca-Cola Singapore, in collaboration with Marvel, has launched the ‘Coca-Cola x Marvel: The Heroes’ campaign featuring immersive storytelling and digital experience along with the release of limited edition cans.

In an effort to immerse consumers, the Coca-Cola pack designs show six character illustrations, digital collectible characters, prizes, and an augmented reality experience on Coca-Cola’s website.

The limited edition cans and bottles featuring both heroes and villains from the Marvel cinematic universe will be scannable to reveal the AR experience for all characters. The six designs include Deadpool, Wolverine, and Loki for Coca-Cola Original Taste and Black Widow, Hulk, and Iron Man for Coca-Cola Sugar.

The campaign also includes creatives that will run on cinema and other video-sharing platforms. 

“Coca-Cola has a long history with Disney, and it’s exciting to have a relationship that encourages and enables us to continue to push ourselves and our relationship to new heights creatively. This latest collaboration with Marvel allows us to tap into the legacy and affinity for both brands to deliver consumers new and unexpected experiences,” Islam ElDessouky, global head of creative strategy and content for Coca-Cola Trademark, said.

“Our corporate alliance with Coca-Cola uniquely positioned us to develop something remarkably innovative within the industry. We took the traditional marketing paradigm and redefined it in the best way possible. The result is an unprecedented campaign that taps into the power of the Marvel Universe – which is heading into its 85th year of beloved characters – and tells stories in a way that can only be done when Coca-Cola and Disney come together,” Mindy Hamilton, senior vice president of global marketing partnerships at The Walt Disney Company, said.

The ‘Coca-Cola x Marvel: The Heroes’ limited edition cans are available from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, 2024.

Coca-Cola has previously collaborated with brands like Marshmello, Oreo, and League of Legends among others for limited edition pack designs.

Singapore Starbucks and Disney are collaborating for their next Starbucks Experience, which will reveal a witty world of authentic connections through a dynamic assortment of drinkware and lifestyle accessories. 

Inspired by the friendships enjoyed by renowned Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and others, the limited-edition Starbucks “Sip of Joy” collection was created. The goal of this collection is to spread Mickey and Friends’ optimism to people of all ages throughout the Asia-Pacific area through a colourful range of items adorned with animated Disney characters and inspirational sayings. 

All the products in the “Sip of Joy” collection are collectables. This collection features quotations that inspire a sense of cohesion and unity in addition to a range of vivid hues and overlapping cut-outs that represent the accumulation of delight.

Drawing from Starbucks’ concept of promoting deep human connections, this latest partnership draws inspiration from Disney’s captivating stories of enduring friendships. The collection will make its limited-edition premiere in 12 markets around the Asia-Pacific region on April 16. 

Enthusiasts and patrons are looking forward to sharing a “Sip of Joy” with their loved ones beginning April 16. This fresh-themed collection will be available in 12 markets, including Australia, Cambodia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. 

Speaking about the partnership, Samuel Fung, vice president, product and marketing, Starbucks Asia-Pacific, said, “Building on the success of our last collection, we’re thrilled to team up with Disney once again to bring fans a new Starbucks Experience this summer. Rooted in our values of inspiring joyful connections, the latest launch celebrates the magical friendship bonds that uplift the everyday.”

He added, “Just like the perfect blend of coffee and conversation, the new collection aims to bring joy and togetherness to every sip and spark more heartwarming moments with friends and families. We hope this meaningful Starbucks Experience will capture the hearts and minds of fans in the Asia-Pacific region and encourage fans to celebrate their bonds with pals and loved ones.” 

Manila, Philippines – The Walt Disney Company has officially closed its remaining linear TV channels in Southeast Asia which included National Geographic, National Geographic Wild, Star World, Star Movies, Star Chinese Channel, Star Chinese Films, and BabyTV.

This officially took effect on October 1, as the company aims to move into direct-to-consumer streaming endeavours.

In the Philippines, cable television provider SKYcable is offering its users to alternatively watch from the channels ZooMoo, Cartoonito, History Channel, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Love Nature, CCM, CGTN, CGTN Documentary, CCTV 4, and KIX.

The Walt Disney Company had already decided on the channel closures back in June this year, as it aims to retain a streamlined television portfolio with channels in Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand for the time being.

The multinational entertainment company has made similar moves back in 2020 and 2021. Some of its closed channels include Fox, Fox Crime, Fox Life, FX, and Channel V, as well as ox Action Movies, Fox Family Movies, Fox Movies and Star Movies China. Other channels that are being closed include Fox Sports, Fox Sports 2, Fox Sports 3, Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Nat Geo People and SCM Legend.

Singapore – Popular coffee chain Starbucks has announced its collaboration with global mass media company Walt Disney to release Disney-inspired merchandise and stylish lifestyle accessories aiming to inspire a sense of shared nostalgia that resonates with all ages.

Launching on September 19 for a limited time, the collection will be launched in 15 markets across the Asia Pacific region, blending Disney’s iconic characters with Starbucks’ familiar third place experience.

Starring fan-favorite Disney characters such as Mickey and Friends, Chip ‘n Dale, Dumbo, Stitch and Angel, the Starbucks’ ‘Relive the Magic Together’ series features  an array of 15 different drinkware designs and six lifestyle accessories. The drinkware range features mugs, reusable cups, and tumblers, whilst the lifestyle accessories include reusable tote bags, umbrellas, and pins.

The new themed collection will be available across 15 markets, spanning Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. 

Samuel Fung, vice president of product and marketing at Starbucks Asia Pacific, said “Our “Relive the Magic Together” merchandise speaks to Starbucks mission to strengthen human connection with elements of fun and imagination. This collection is poised to touch the hearts of fans of all ages. The possibilities of striking human connections over the everyday ritual of drinking coffee, rooted in our iconic Starbucks Experience, are truly limitless.”

“We wanted to creatively reimagine how some of our favorite Disney characters might enjoy moments of friendship together – perhaps even taking the time to cheers over a cup of coffee! By weaving together memorable Disney characters with Starbucks style and messages of forging genuine connections, we hope our designs brighten your day, bring comfort and happiness, and warm the hearts of people of all ages”, he added.

Manila, Philippines – It’s that time of year again: the Christmas holidays. And with the upcoming Yuletide season, there is also a rich variety of holiday-themed ads. From straight-up ads that communicate the brand with a Christmas twist to ads that execute brand storytelling, here are the most emotionally engaging holiday ads this year, according to global video and connected TV programmatic advertising platform Unruly.

  1. Disney: The Stepdad

The latest global Christmas campaign by the global entertainment company, the ad is a heartwarming story focused on a stepdad and his family, and their everyday life towards celebrating Christmas. The ad, laced with references to Disney characters coming to life, scored 46.6% positive emotional engagement. 

  1. Goldilocks: Celebrate Christmas with Goldilocks

This simple 30-second spot by Philippine-based bakery chain Goldilocks invites viewers to order their upcoming Christmas dinner platter from the chain, where they serve not only pastries but also full-on meals. Said ad garnered 37.0% positive emotional engagement.

  1. Lady’s Choice: Have a Safe and Meaningful Reunion with a Lady’s Choice Creamy Sweet Macaroni Salad!

Mayonnaise brand Lady’s Choice shows in this 15-second spot on enjoying Christmas with one of their recipes: a sweet macaroni salad: staple across Christmas dinners. This ad got 35.9% positive emotional engagement.

  1. Foodpanda: We Gotchu This Christmas!

A true modern Christmas tale: what happens when Santa Claus himself can’t get the deliveries done? In this 45-second spot, foodpanda decided to take a modern twist of the famous ‘Rudolf, The Red-Nosed Reindeer’ into their delivery riders. The ad garnered 35.1% positive emotional engagement.

  1. Lazada: Grand Christmas Sale na this Dec 12-14!

This latest ad from the Philippine arm of e-commerce platform Lazada goes by the tune of the known Christmas carol ‘Deck The Halls’: only with a modern twist and Lazada references. This ad, which focuses on the platform’s upcoming Christmas sale and features local ambassadors, has garnered a 31.1% positive emotional engagement.

  1. Kinder: Share the Christmas Joy with Kinder

A 15-second spot filled with Christmas joy, this ad by chocolate brand by Kinder on sharing the Christmas joy to kids has garnered 26.0% positive emotional engagement.

  1. Cadbury: Cadbury Dairy Milk Christmas

Another chocolate ad on the list, this one with Cadbury, invites viewers to consider gifting their loved ones with a custom Cadbury gift. The ad has recorded 23.1% positive emotional engagement.

  1. Dunkin’ Donuts: Merry Munchkin

Last but not the least: this campaign featuring Philippine P-pop group SB19 greets viewers a happy holiday, and considering the donut chain to be a part of their Yuletide festivities. Said ad has garnered 18.8% positive emotional engagement.

Speaking about how these ads made an impact this holiday season, Greg Fournier, senior vice president for global strategy at Unruly said that it is important more than ever for brands and advertisers to better understand how their ads will resonate with audiences, and how effective they are at driving key business metrics like brand recall, purchase intent and brand favorability.

“In times of continued uncertainty and evolving consumer habits, brands have been able to develop creative and imaginative advertisements – many have also chosen to depart from overt COVID-19 themes and instead depict new-normal ways of life. Notably, brands have also chosen to reflect diversity in their ads this year – not just ethnically but also generationally – with characters and families from all walks of life and ages.”

He added, “On the flip side, ads that lack narrative, without any stories to tell, performed poorly. Ads that lack narration were also less well-received, with consumers finding it harder to understand the messages and relate on an emotional level.”

Hong Kong – Harbour City, the premium shopping center in Hong Kong, has partnered with Disney and Pixar to launch a mega event ‘Pixar Fest’ developed through a new marketing strategy and with a new event format.

‘Pixar Fest’, which will run until 15 August 2021, aims to enhance the consumer experience, create noise, and maximize social shares.

Harbour City is taking the extra mile to introduce something innovative to the audience. Mainly, the mega event has taken full advantage of Harbour City’s layout, installing 12 photo spots at every corner across different zones and levels. For example, the 5.2 meters high Pixar Ball and Lamp has been installed at Ocean Terminal Deck, while enlarged versions of Pixar movie characters have been set up in the atrium.

Apart from taking pictures on-site with the movie characters’ statues, the mall has also leveraged the technology of AR to entice visitors. Harbour City has selected five AR checkpoints in the consideration of mall layout. By downloading the mobile app ‘Harbour Cityzen’ for free, customers can experience ‘AR Fun’ in the onsite installations.

Furthermore, in order to keep the customer-generated content and maximize organic shares, Harbour City has released weekly new surprises to customers, such as limited-edition souvenirs and exclusive products. 

And lastly, Harbour City has created a series of interactive activities, including an online game connecting the real and virtual world across offline and online platforms. The mall has also partnered with booking platform KLOOK for online pre-registration of Pixar’s movies and shorts, to promote the mega event to targeted audiences with its big data.

California, USA – Media company The Walt Disney has announced a new leadership structure for the Asia Pacific, with two new leaders for The Walt Disney Company (TWDC) APAC and TWDC India.

While TWDC India has yet to see a new president until early 2021, TWDC has already appointed former executive vice president and managing director for TWDC Greater China, Japan and Korea Luke Kang (pictured) as TWDC’s president for APAC. He will oversee the company’s businesses in ANZ, Greater China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia.

Entitled in his role also are managing Disney’s media networks, direct-to-consumer offerings including Disney+, media distribution and motion picture businesses, as well as other operations across APAC (excluding Disney parks). He will continue driving growth, innovation and brand affinity across these extremely diverse markets, and will closely collaborate with the consumer products team.

He will report to Rebecca Campbell, chairman of international operations & direct-to-consumer at The Walt Disney Company.

“With his deep understanding of our businesses in Asia Pacific, Luke is ideally suited to lead our efforts in the region. He has played a critical role in transforming our business in Asia optimizing operations, developing successful new revenue streams, and rapidly moving to roll out Disney+.  I’m confident that he and our extended team will deliver even more value as we continue to manage and grow Disney’s DTC and media businesses in the region,” said Campbell.

On the other hand, Kang commented, “I’m grateful for the confidence Rebecca has placed in me. I look forward to driving the Company’s business in Asia Pacific as we continue to evolve rapidly in order to engage our consumers across multiple touchpoints. It is an honor to build upon the legacy that Disney has established in some of the most exciting markets in the world and lead these amazing teams.”

Prior to his position, aside from his duties as an executive vice president, he had also worked as executive vice president & managing director for TWDC Greater China. He also worked for management roles for Viacom/MTV Networks in Asia Pacific and Monitor Group Asia Pacific Region before joining Disney in 2014.

Holidays are truly around the corner and Christmas-related news has already peeped in to make its way to the top stories, where a global household production name warms hearts with its latest Christmas ad.

Another year-end special also entered the list for the month, with a rewards platform in Singapore announcing a new face for its brand on the 11.11 sale event. 

Stories from marketing tech platforms also turned heads, where two – a global and an Asia-focused firm – announced recent expansions.

Meanwhile, marketing leaders never fail to entice readers, with a feature on a digital head from a leading integrated marketing communications agency in the Philippines making it to the top 5. 

Based on Google Analytics from 16 October to 15 November, these are the top newsmakers for the month.

Top 5: Disney UK’s global Christmas ad puts Filipino family culture in the spotlight

Disney in the UK has released its latest Christmas ad titled “From our family to yours,” and to much of Filipinos’ surprise, the production studios decided to forefront the Philippines’ family culture and Christmas traditions. 

The ad is about a “lola” or grandmother who misses spending time with her granddaughter who has grown mature and has less time for the family. In the video, Lola and her granddaughter bond over making a “parol” or the colorful Christmas lantern in the Philippines. 

Disney UK said the ad is also part of its celebration of the 40th partnership anniversary with children charity foundation Make A Wish, where a portion of the sales from the digital purchase of the video’s official soundtrack “Love Is A Compass” and a limited edition vintage Mickey Mouse soft doll is donated to the foundation.

Both Filipino and international viewers loved the ad, where the video has currently garnered 2.7 million views on YouTube.

Top 4: ShopBack Singapore taps local comic veteran as first ambassador

The headquarters of rewards and discovery platform ShopBack has announced its very first brand ambassador – comedy veteran Kumar.

Kumar is an Indian Singaporean comedian, television host, and drag queen, who made his name performing in the now-defunct cabaret nightclub Boom Boom Room during the late 1990s.

The partnership between ShopBack and Kumar is set to run for a year, which already began in the 11.11 sale event of the platform, and slated to continue through the year-end and next year.

Speaking to MARKETECH APAC, ShopBack Singapore’s Head of Marketing Imran Mohamad shared what makes Kumar perfect for the brand. 

“We believe that Kumar has the same values as us, he’s all about love, authenticity, [and] inclusivity, and we tend to speak the same language,” he said.

He added, “Together with Kumar, we believe that sky’s the limit, that we could really reach out to Singaporeans young and old, to tell them, you are not left behind, and you can shop smarter, [save] more, [earn] more with ShopBack.” 

Top 3: Executive Director of MullenLowe Treyna’s digital arm on #MARKETECHMondays

Last October, Raffy Bariso, the executive director of Philippine integrated marketing agency MullenLowe Treyna graced the #MARKETECHMondays interview, where he shared some meaningful advice about leadership and his insights on the digital landscape in the pandemic. 

As cliche as it may sound during this time, Raffy said “the pandemic is the biggest disruptor.”

“There’s so much innovation to do, and needed during the pandemic crisis, and I can just imagine how everything sped up in terms of the velocity when the pandemic hit us. I’m already doing a lot in terms of digital marketing, [but] imagine, all of my brands pivoting double time for this season,” he shared. 

As heads of digital arm TAPS or MullenLowe Treyna’s Technology and Platform Services, Raffy spearheads services which is mainly the use of creative technology to answer clients’ marketing challenges, coming up with products that leverage the firm’s expertise in strategic narrative, content and media, PR, activations, and production.

As a leader, he believes in the power of “vision.”

“I had to set [a] vision for my team. [This] sets the tone and direction for everybody, and [from them], I have to sell that vision, [so that] I can build that trust, and they can get behind my goals,” he said.

Top 2: Global experience analytics platform Contentsquare expands to APAC

International-wide experience analytics company Contentsquare has recently announced its APAC expansion; and with new offices in Singapore, Tokyo, Melbourne, and Sydney, it has unveiled two key executives at the helm. 

Former senior head at Microsoft David Bochsler has been appointed as regional managing director for APAC, while former head of CRM Marketing for food delivery platform Deliveroo Frazer Adnam is tapped as country manager for ANZ.

Contentsquare’s platform captures every in-page interaction and micro-gesture to understand and analyze customer behavior. It provides teams a digital experience stack that supports the full cycle of digital improvement with available scores, visualizations, and recommendations. 

Sharing his insight on the state of user experience (UX), David said, “Increasingly, we are seeing a shift to brands wanting to deliver not just more sales, but a better online experience for their visitors, which in many cases is the only experience that the customer has with that brand. So UX is at the top of the priority list in 2020.” 

Meanwhile, new ANZ country manager Frazer said that what he likes about Contentsquare is its ability to locate revenue fast and at scale, and its ability to visualize data. 

“When I first saw the Contentsquare platform, I was just so excited about the technology. I was the decision-maker on the brand side that Contentsquare would have traditionally sold to. I thought, ‘this solves problems that I literally would have needed five people to solve,” he said.

Top 1: Ad-tech Adzymic enters Hong Kong, Thailand, and Japan market

The top story for the month comes from the same field of marketing tech – Asia-focused ad-tech Adzymic’s further expansion to Asia, with new markets in Hong Kong, Thailand, and Japan. 

Prior to the expansion, Adzymic has already been operating in countries Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Its flagship solution is the Dynamic Creative Management Platform which functions as advertising transformation of physical to digital media, such as banners, carousel ads and social display ads, allowing advertisers to create ads without the need for coding experience. 

Co-founder and executive director Ken Wong shared to MARKETECH APAC what made the company reach out to the new markets. 

“Programmatic media has become increasingly important in these three markets. Before the pandemic, we saw that many Thai and Hong Kong companies have already adapted to the digital and programmatic media platforms, [and] during this pandemic, they have diversified their digital presence even more rapidly. We saw that they already had some quick traction with the local businesses,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Ken said the company entered Japan because it has “always been an appealing market, which is one of the world’s largest advertising markets of the US and China.”

Watch the MARKETECH APAC REPORTS of these top five stories, with exclusive appearance and commentary from the newsmakers themselves.

This is in collaboration with Malaysia-based media company The Full Frontal.