Disney x A24: Key Findings
- Disney CreativeWorks and A24 turn a rhythmic table tennis match into a holiday showdown, showing how this kind of storytelling can replace traditional film ads.
- Pairing Timothée Chalamet with Metta World Peace taps different fanbases and proves that unexpected talent combinations can widen audience appeal.
- The studio’s willingness to let mood and mystery lead reinforces how creative restraint can strengthen long-term brand marketing strategy.
Campaign Snapshot
Disney CreativeWorks and A24 have teamed up for a holiday push that is anything but typical.
Their promo for Marty Supreme plays like performance art rather than a movie commercial.
Directed by Julia Pitch of Greenpoint Pictures and edited by Ben Schwaeber, the spot brings together the film's main star, Timothée Chalamet, and retired NBA standout Metta World Peace for a rhythmic table tennis match.
Set to “Carol of the Bells," the promo premiered ahead of Marty Supreme’s Christmas Day release, using unexpected visuals and sound to create attention around both the movie and the packed day of NBA Christmas games on ESPN and ABC.
Pitch said the collaboration with Disney CreativeWorks and A24 gave the team creative freedom, which she used to match the promo’s visuals to the "hypnotic undertones, joyful spirit, and precision” of the music.
She described the project as one where every element, from the music track composed by Machine Sound to the edited tempo, became “an opportunity for surprise.”
Ultimately, work like this is what reminds us that studios can still turn unconventional ideas into genuine cultural moments.
Disney CreativeWorks’ role in the brand partnership is proof that content studios can work with filmmakers to craft initiatives that break the formula by feeling bespoke and expressive.
Inside the Holiday Match
The setup is cinematic, to say the least.
A mysterious silver briefcase full of ping-pong balls marked with the logos of NBA teams is revealed to the viewers, before Metta World Peace himself shows up to tell the viewers: "Let's do this."
World Peace serves with a Knicks logo ball, a nod to his NBA past, in what feels more like a short film.
Each hit, squeak, and movement is synchronized to the song’s escalating rhythm.
The promo film builds its own visual language, staging spectators with oversized ping-pong ball heads and NBA logos, all bobbing in sync to the soundtrack.
In the end, the two break the fourth wall and invite viewers to see the upcoming movie.
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Rather than cutting quickly to marketing messages, the film unfolds like a micro-narrative: sport as spectacle, then a direct invitation to audiences to see the film, followed by the cue to watch NBA Christmas Day on ESPN and ABC.
It's a marketing masterpiece, with a narrative approach that sets it apart from typical spots.
What We Can Learn From This Promo
For marketers, this holiday promo offers a timely case study in creative attention-capture.
It's also a reflection of recent marketing trends where studios treat promotion as an immersive experience, building out moments that make fans curious more than simply announce release dates.
Here are some lessons we can take from it:
- Use unconventional formats and sound design to make promotional content feel experiential and shareable.
- Surreal visual touches tied to culturally relevant moments help anchor the viewer's interest.
- Collaboration across creative and content studios allows promotional work to feel custom and intentional.
Last year, A24’s valuation increased to about $3.5 billion following a new funding round, signaling the indie studio’s strategic growth beyond niche arthouse fare.
Our Take: Should We Always Think Outside of the Box?
This promo singlehandedly found the solution to marketing fatigue, and it's by being different.
It doesn’t tell you why Marty Supreme matters, but lets rhythm, mystery, stardom, and playful visuals pull you in.
That’s where partnerships and creativity intersect; not in polished talking points, but in curious, half-surreal moments that make people stop their scroll.
Too many campaigns spoon-feed viewers information; this one trusts that intrigue and sensory hooks will do the heavy lifting.
Recently, A24 also staged a long and unconventional Zoom call with the Marty Supreme actor to promote the film.
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