In the beginning, there was an unassuming man with glasses. Martin Goodman, a pulp magazine publisher, decided to expand into the comic book market in 1939 and founded a new company called Timely Comics, which evolved into Marvel Comics in the 1960s. The first stories published in 1939 – The Human Torch and Submariner – sold 900,000 copies in just two months. The following year, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby joined the team. Other heroes came after Captain America – the original Vision, Whizzer, Miss America, and Destroyer. And then another staffer named Stanley Lieber, going by the pseudonym Stan Lee, worked his way up to editor-in-chief and became best known as the creator of many hit characters. The ones that are now the Marvel phenomenon.
The golden years of comics
In the late 1980s, Marvel thrived. The first Spider-Man sold two million copies. Eight million people bought the first issue of X-Men, the most comics sold per issue. Then the real golden age of comics came in the 1980s and 1990s. Unfortunately, in 1996, fan speculations and mismanagement resulted in Marvel’s having to declare bankruptcy. However, a rebirth came two years later. The company began diversifying its output, introducing imprints aimed at different demographics and expanding its film offerings under the Marvel Studios brand.
Source: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia CommonsThe new millennium marked by the merger of Disney and MCU
Filming began after the rights to the Marvel characters were sold to film studios. By 2002, Men in Black, Blade, X-men, and the mega-successful Spider-Man were made. Marvel started diversifying again. It ceased publishing comics and in 2007, digitised its comics to make them available to readers. The Marvel Ultimate Universe was born. In 2008, Marvel Studios managed to rock the world with the incredibly successful Iron Man. Iron Man was the first of the planned interconnected films that gave rise to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU.
In August 2009, Marvel Entertainment was assumed by Disney, which had a positive effect on the production of other films and other media for comic book characters. Once the MCU began to develop, Marvel Studios and Disney saw great success. Iron Man was followed by The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and the very first Avengers film, which was the box office hit and earned incredible popularity among comic book fans and laymen alike. The production of sequels to various titles and brand-new films is still ongoing, so the portfolio of characters is constantly expanding to include new heroes.
Marvel characters as the favourites of advertisers
With a portfolio of over 9,000 characters, Marvel is today’s absolute leader in the comic book industry. Marvel Entertainment, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, states on the advertising section of its website that it has the tools, creative staff, and experience to create truly original programmes that convey the essence of the brand message and transport consumers to a new world. There is something to this.
Many brands use motifs from the Marvel film world to promote their products. This promotion is done in partnership with Marvel Studios, which in turn promotes Marvel’s products.
Spider-Man does his driving test in an Audi A8
A typical example of collaboration and two-sided advertising is Audi's 2017 TV spot promoting the Audi A8 on the one hand and the then-new Spider-Man: Homecoming on the other. In the spot, Peter Parker, played by Tom Holland, takes a driving lesson under the guidance of an instructor portrayed by J.B. Smoove. He drives a prototype given to him by Tony Stark and annoys the instructor with his excesses, such as driving without using his hands and going too fast. During the lesson, Parker also manages – sort of incidentally – to disarm the bank robbers. A trailer for a new film appears at the end of the spot.
Video: Audi - Spider-Man: Homecoming
Audi e-tron and Avengers Endgame
Captain Marvel, played by actress Brie Larson, returns to help the Avengers fight for the fate of the universe. But first, she has to figure out what she has missed in the interim – from food to tech to an Audi e-tron all-electric SUV. The Audi brand also provided several vehicles for the film, such as the e-tron GT driven by Stark and the Q4 e-tron driven by Rogers.
Video: Audi e-tron – Marvel Studios Avengers Endgame
Spider-Man competes at a high school fair with an Audi electric motor
It is a humorous spot where Peter Parker and Ned Leeds attend a high school fair with an electric motor. Unfortunately, they discover that other high school students have produced much more impressive technological products. While Leeds gives up, Parker calls an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. who is willing to help him in exchange for Parker appearing as Spider-Man at his son’s birthday party. Parker arrives back at the fair with a stunning Audi e-tron GT. The result? Second place. First place goes to... well, see for yourself.
Video: Audi e-tron - Spider-Man: Far From Home
Ever since the first Iron Man, Audi and Marvel have formed a strong partnership. Several Audi vehicles have appeared on screen during various Iron Man episodes: Audi R8, Audi R8 Spyder, Audi R8 e-tron, Audi A8L, Audi S7 Sportback, Audi S5 Coupe and Audi Q7. An exclusive Audi Iron Man 2: Fist of Iron comic was also released. With the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron, even more models were introduced.
In the same year, the Audi A3 Sedan (2015) briefly appeared in Ant-Man. The following year, with the release of Captain America: Civil War, the Audi R8 V10 Plus (2016), Audi A4 (2016), Audi A8 (2016), Audi Concept Prologue, and Audi SQ7 (2016) returned and appeared in a car chase.
The Absolut brand and the escape of heroes from the virtual world
The partially animated spot from the American studio Psyop brings two minutes of wild anime, CGI, and cyberpunk, presenting the stories of heroes trying to escape the virtual reality in which they are trapped.
The 2020 campaign “It's in our spirit” features several stars. In addition to Tessa Thompson, the famed Marvel heroine who portrayed Brunnhilde/Valkyrie, the campaign includes musicians MNEK & Jolin Tsai and esports champion Ricki Ortiz (Evil Geniuses).
“This new campaign marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Absolut brand. The desire and need to break free – to venture beyond the screen back into the real world, where real-life togetherness creates the ultimate and most intimate connectivity – is in all of us now, but especially in Gen Z,” said Tad Greenough, Chief Creative Officer of The Absolut Company, commenting on the strategy.
Video: Absolut’s 'It’s In Our Spirit'
The Hulk and Ant-Man fight over Coca-Cola
Another strategic advertising partner for Marvel is the Coca-Cola brand. In 2016, an ad based on an epic chase between the biggest and smallest Marvel heroes, the Hulk and Ant-Man, excelled at the Super Bowl. After all, the two have something in common – a huge thirst. And there is only one can of Coke Mini left in the fridge.
Video: Coca-Cola – The Hulk versus Ant-Man
Coca-Cola’s partnership with Marvel, or Disney, has lasted for over 60 years and will no doubt continue. Most recently, Coca-Cola has unveiled a new limited edition of Marvel-themed cans and bottles. The Coca-Cola packaging features 12 illustrations of Marvel characters that come to life in an augmented reality experience that can be accessed using the Coca-Cola app.
Source: Coca-ColaBurger King and Daddy Iron Man
In Iron Man, Tony Stark, upon his return to the US after escaping the Ten Rings’ base in Afghanistan, eats a cheeseburger from Burger King on his way to an impromptu press conference. Actor Robert Downey Jr. said in an interview that Burger King helped him overcome his drug addiction. In a Burger King ad from 2008, a dad stumbles out of a garden workshop, pretending to be Iron Man in front of his kids. They are enjoying their Burger King meals when suddenly...
Video: Burger King - Iron Man
In addition to Iron Man, there is also a massive green mountain of muscle hanging around Burger King:
Video: Burger King - Hulk
Honda’s Acura navigation can handle the Avengers’ rampage
Audi isn’t the only brand that has been seen in Marvel films. Honda also has its great white hope. During the Battle of New York, a couple drives an Acura RDX through the city, dodging obstacles and explosions. A navigation system guides them safely through the city, giving them instructions to avoid a flying car, an explosion, and Thor’s lightning bolt.
Video: Acura RDX – Avengers
Chevrolet and Captain America: The Return of the First Avenger
For Captain America: The Return of the First Avenger, Chevrolet signed a deal to promote several of its vehicles in the film, including the 2014 Corvette Stingray driven by Romanoff, the 2014 Tahoe driven by Nick Fury, and the 2014 Silverado used by Rogers. An ad promoting the 2014 Traverse was also aired. In the ad, a boy and his friends re-enact roles from the film until the boy’s mother comes to get him – in a Chevrolet, of course.
Video: Chevrolet – Captain America
Comic book characters pay off in campaigns
There are many positive aspects to brands working with Marvel. Marvel characters are iconic and have a global fan base across a range of ages, offering advertisers the opportunity to reach a broad and diverse audience.
Heroes such as Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Captain America are subconsciously associated with values such as courage, integrity, and strength. This association adds emotional depth to advertising campaigns, enhances brand image, and increases the memorability of the adverts.
Another plus is Marvel’s visual style – it is dynamic and attention-grabbing. This undoubtedly increases the effectiveness of advertising. Moreover, the popularity of Marvel characters is enhanced by their representation in different media – from movies to comics to games and TV series, which helps to increase the reach of advertising campaigns. The use of Marvel characters enables the creation of attractive and visually powerful ads. Brands and creative agencies are well aware of this.
As a result, a wide range of brands from car manufacturers to fast food outlets, smartphone manufacturers, or food and beverage tycoons are embracing Marvel themes. As the production of new films continues, we can look forward to many more Marvel-themed TV ads.
