Inside Disney’s inclusive marketing efforts for ‘The Little Mermaid’

Inclusive marketing

Carol’s Daughter, a natural hair care brand founded by Lisa Price and acquired by L’Oreal in 2014, is one of the brands that partnered with “The Little Mermaid” for a line of movie-themed products, including shampoos, conditioners and a leave-in cream—all in packaging illustrated with cartoon depictions of Bailey’s Ariel. The partnership also included custom creative.

“To watch the faces of children when they see a mermaid that looks like them is just breathtaking,” said Price in one of the ads that featured interviews with her and Bailey.

“One of the great things about Carol’s Daughter is that we’ve found everybody can use Carol’s Daughter products,” said Breier. “Of course, it was very important to reach out to Black-owned businesses; it was also important to have as broad a campaign as we could possibly have because we think this movie is literally for everyone.”

A Disney partnership with Ulta also reflected the mission of “The Little Mermaid,” including its own custom line of cosmetics and two licensed skin care brands. According to Disney, it was the first time Ulta licensed two brands for a single partner campaign.

Related: Ulta’s Karla Davis pushes for diversity in beauty

One brand included in Ulta’s themed package and front-of-store displays for the film is Black Girl Sunscreen. The Black-owned skin care business that specializes in sun protection for Black skin, created a lotion line in mermaid packaging. The second brand, the eco-friendly beauty brand Pacifica, created a custom-packaged line of skin treatments and masks. 

The combined line from Ulta featured a custom spot highlighting the evolving diversity of the beauty industry. The ad encourages consumers to “embrace every curl and wave, every shade, line and curve” as an inclusive cast of men and women don bold shades of eyeshadow and lipgloss.