Disney's 100th Anniversary Festive Campaign Travels the World with the Power of Wishes

Disney has today launched a holiday campaign called ‘May Your Wishes Come True’ focusing on the power of wishes for its 100th anniversary. The campaign includes the first live-action festive ad, titled ‘A Wish For The Holidays,’ which takes inspiration from the soon-to-be released Walt Disney Animation Studios’ movie Wish and will launch in more than 50 countries.

The ad is directed by Grammy Award-winning Nigerian/British director Meji Alabi and features scenes representing six geographical locations and languages. It tells the stories of families and friends from around the world, who are united by a universal wish to be together with their loved ones during the Holidays, recognising a range of festive traditions.

Director Meji Alabi said, “I feel lucky to have collaborated with such a diverse group of people on Disney’s Holiday campaign this year. There were so many stand-out moments for me during the filming, but I think the most memorable was watching the South African kids choir sing their lines. It truly gave me goosebumps.”

The ad includes the globally recognisable song ‘A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes’ from Cinderella, rearranged to enable multiple performers to come together with one united voice. English-language voice of Asha and Academy Award-winning actress and singer Ariana DeBose delivers the opening line in the English version, and voice actresses in markets around the world sing it in other languages.

The ad has been globally produced by Ridley Scott Associates across the US, UK and South Africa and developed in collaboration with the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products internal advertising agency Yellow Shoes.

Joss Hastings, VP global marketing, Disney consumer products, games and publishing, said, “Holiday traditions may look different around the world but however and wherever you’re celebrating, we all share the wish to be with the ones we love during this special time of year. Inspired by Walt Disney Animation Studios’ new movie ‘Wish,’ the advertisement brings voices from around the world together as a global choir for a powerful rendition of the iconic ‘A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes.’ We hope fans enjoy the new twist on a Disney classic as we celebrate 100 years of storytelling and the integral role that music has played.”

Throughout Disney’s 100th Anniversary celebrations, Disney has continued its long-standing collaboration with Make-A-Wish. For more than 40 years, Disney and Make-A-Wish have worked together to bring joy when it’s needed most to children with critical illnesses and their families around the world. This year’s support closes with Disney’s holiday campaign. In addition, to celebrate the release of Disney’s Wish and the launch of the shopDisney Wish collection Disney has donated $300,000 USD to Make-A-Wish International and its Affiliates to help grant even more wishes around the world. In addition, Mattel is donating a share of proceeds* from every Disney Wish Star Reveals Mini Doll Surprise toy to Make-A-Wish.

Luciano Manzo, president and CEO at Make-A-Wish International, said, “This is a special year for Disney and our long-standing collaboration with them. We are delighted that Disney has once again chosen to celebrate the holiday season by helping make wishes come true for children living with critical illnesses.”

Nearly 300 global retailers are joining Disney’s 2023 Holiday campaign, bringing stories and characters to life through innovative products across multiple categories: from toys and apparel, to jewellery, technology and consumables. Retailers supporting Disney’s 2023 Holiday campaign in the UK include Amazon, Smyths, Asda and George, Tesco, Sainsburys, Argos, Next, Game at House of Fraser and The Entertainer.

In addition to featuring in ‘A Wish For The Holidays,’ Pandora will also launch bespoke retail activations and short spin-off advertising spot, while Disney has supported Baby licensees with a bespoke commercial toolkit.