A new advert for The Mandalorian and Grogu film aired during the Super Bowl last night and it was met with intrigue, confusion and disappointment.
After several (now incorrect) rumours, a full trailer for the upcoming film was not put out by Lucasfilm and Disney around the big game. Instead, we got a 30-odd second ad that parodies another commercial which only some people may know.
Titled “The Mandalorian and Grogu – A New Journey Begins” Big Game Spot, it shows our two heroes, Din Djarin and Grogu, pulled on a sled by puppeteered Tauntauns in a snowy setting. A voice over and text reiterates the film is out only in theatres and IMAX on May 22nd. This short was directed by the film’s director Jon Favreau.
Lucasfilm’s marketing brand lead Ryan Stankevich told Adweek “Our creative and marketing team landed on a unique concept that gave a nod to classic Big Game spots of years past”. This advert was a joint effort by Jon Favreau, Lucasfilm and ILM to bring “to life a spot that felt to us instantly iconic, cinematic, and quintessentially Star Wars.” Disney revealed to Adweek that this commercial was shot on location using ILM’s technology and the Lucasfilm creature team and puppeteers.
Mixed Response
Reaction on social media has certainly been mixed. Whilst some fans are glad to see marketing start to begin for a film due out in a little over three months, others were bemused as to what this ad was and why it was made. Not everyone knew it was a parody of Budweiser Clydesdales adverts that have shown up in previous Super Bowls.
Of course, the Super Bowl audience is largely based in the US so a lot of the people watching the game will have understood the reference. That said, it is 2026. These ads are viewed online by a global audience. Pretty much everyone outside of the states has not got a clue what this advert is supposed to be. It feels like Disney and Lucasfilm have missed the mark on this one.
A lot of full trailers for other films coming out in the next few months were released in and around the Super Bowl. Solo: A Star Wars Story had a Super Bowl trailer so Lucasfilm are not in new territory here.
Previously, some films have opted for a 30 second short with an end slate featuring verbiage such as “Full Trailer Out Tomorrow” or “Trailer Out Online Now”. Fans thought they might have gotten a teaser for the full trailer during the game but that was not the case. The wait goes on for a new trailer.
The advert was published to the official Star Wars YouTube channel using the collaboration feature; tagging Lucasfilm and Disney’s channels. It has over 900,000 views after 9 hours at the time of writing. Curiously, the ad is only viewable up to 1440p resolution whereas previous promotional material for this film has been uploaded in 4K.
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