We have entered a new era of movie marketing where brand-film partnerships mean more than just product placement. Over the past years, we have seen a shift in movie marketing where cinematic releases have become active cultural experiences with brands engaging in film-related campaigns years before the film’s debut. Take recent cinematic sensations such as Barbie and Wicked; these releases both became global phenomena, with brands becoming active participants in the films’ narrative, amplifying their releases. Barbie partnered with over 400 brands, and Wicked spent an estimated $150 million on brand collaborations alone, so what does this tell us? Brands have become an integral part of the cinematic universe, but it is how these brands show up in movie marketing that determines whether they will have a global impact.
This leads us into this week’s case study on 2026’s latest movie mania, the long-awaited fashion favourite sequel, The Devil Wears Prada 2.
The original film made its blockbuster debut 10 years ago, back in October 2006, grossing over $326 million globally, back when brand-movie marketing was essentially limited to product placement within the film itself.
However, 10 years after its original debut, the announcement of the film’s sequel was an absolute no-brainer for brands to jump at. The sequel premieres May 1st; however, marketing campaigns for the film have been running for two whole years, transforming the noughties icon sequel into a cultural movement for marketing.
In this case study, we will be delving into the brand activations, product launches, and campaigns that have all shaped The Devil Wears Prada 2’s release into the cultural moment of the year, as well as analysing what marketers can take away from this movie marketing mania.
In the build-up to the film’s release, we have seen our fair share of The Devil Wears Prada 2 collaborations, from groundbreaking partnerships to exclusive collections inspired by the film. Here are some of our favourites:
Lulus
Occasionwear staple Lulu’s partnered with the film to bring consumers a 14-piece capsule collection of gowns. Inspired by the high fashion world of Runway Magazine, even Miranda would deem the collection Groundbreaking.
Starbucks
Starbucks was a key product placement within the original film, as we saw Andy make multiple coffee runs for the devil herself.
Therefore, it is no surprise that Starbucks was one of the brands that jumped straight into a Devil Wears Prada 2 collaboration. The campaign introduces a curated lineup of four beverages inspired by the film’s iconic characters. The secret menu includes: Miranda’s signature order, a no foam, extra shot, extra hot Caffe Latte with nonfat milk, Andy’s Cappuccino, an oatmilk cappuccino with caramel and cinnamon, Nigels Go-to Doppio, a Doppio espresso con panna with mocha sauce, and Emily’s Iced Chai, an iced chai latte with almond milk and sugar-free caramel.
Alongside the new menu, in a promotional stunt at the film’s premiere, three assistants and one intern wore green cupholder coats throughout the streets of New York to make a few quick coffee runs before going full glam for the premiere.
L’Oréal
The sequel is an absolute no-brainer for beauty brand collaborations, and L’Oréal Paris was ahead of the trend, debuting its collaboration during the 98th Oscars back in March. The spot stars brand ambassador and Kardashian/Jenner icon Kendall Jenner in a nod to the iconic film franchise. The short shows Jenner stepping into the world of Runway as she is mistaken for Miranda’s new assistant, showcasing their new collection of mascara, lipstick, and setting spray.
Vogue
It has long been speculated that the inspiration behind Meryl Streep’s iconic character Miranda Pristely could be Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, so when Vogue’s May cover featured both Streep and Wintour, fans were in a frenzy. Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, the cover is titled, ‘Seeing Double. When Miranda met Anna.’ The cover is also accompanied by a 15-second clip of the pair meeting within a slick white elevator as they size each other up until Pristly asks, ‘Don’t I know you from somewhere?’ with Wintour replying, ‘You do look familiar,’ in a nod to their similarities.
Mercedes
Back in 2006, Miranda was driven around the streets of New York in style as she was chauffeured in a Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Now, ten years on, she is returning to the sequel in style with another slick ride by the manufacturer, the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. The campaign titled ‘The Art of Arrival’ shows Streep’s iconic character Pristely stepping onto the red carpet from the stylish doors of the Maybach, showcasing the car as a visual extension of the character’s authority.
Diet Coke
The Runway Magazine staff seemingly only take a breath when Miranda is away, and Diet Coke nods to this in their, ‘A Diet Coke Please. That’s All’ campaign. Runway staff are shown taking a Diet Coke break as soon as Miranda steps into her town car, and stashing their filing cabinets full of the beverage. Priestley’s personal assistant is even shown with an on-the-go can in her ‘Canny Pack.’ While the bag won’t be available for consumers to get their hands on, it will be displayed in the Saks Fifth Avenue store from May 1st to May 15th. The campaign also features Devil Wears Prada-branded cans featuring the iconic red stihetto at the front of the can.
Lancome
Echoing Andy’s impossible mission to get the unreleased Harry Potter manuscript for Miranda’s twins, Pauline Chalamet is tasked with the impossible request to find the Absolue Longevity range for Miranda. The campaign is filmed in a BTS esq fashion, making the content feel part of a social feed. This makes the film a narrative device for Lancôme, marking their new product launch as a must-have for the Runway cast, positioning the launch less like a placement and more as part of the plotline.
Popcorn Purse
Fans going into the cinema to watch the new film can get runway-ready with the release of The Devil Wears Prada Collectors’ Combo. It wouldn’t be the fashion film’s moment of the year without a bag to match, and the popcorn bucket is just that, a red bag popcorn tin expanding the film’s reach beyond just the screen into a takeaway memento for fans.
Promotional Activations
The Devil works hard, but the sequels’ promotional teams work harder. From nods to iconic scenes in the film on talk shows to gigantic The Devil Wears Prada 2 activations, we have seen our fair share of promotional stunts in the run-up to the film.
Priestly Sits Front Row At Rio Fashion Week
The film’s promotional tour continued to expand The Devil Wears Prada 2’s universe in a multitude of ways, even by infiltrating Rio Fashion Week by filling the front row with ten Miranda Priestly lookalikes, all reading a copy of the iconic Runway magazine.
The Cerulean Sweater
Streep leaned further into the film’s lore by appearing on The Late Show wearing Andy’s iconic cerulean blue sweater that inspired her famous monologue in the first film.
Runway Hits The Shelves
In celebration of the sequel, a limited-edition ‘Runway’ magazine was released to coincide with the film’s premiere. The May edition, featuring Emily Blunt on the cover, was released in limited print across LA and NYC for fans of the franchise to get their hands on.
The Devils Red Heels
Giant red heels from the film’s poster have been popping up all across the world, generating buzz for the film. These stiletto activations are designed for interactive photo opportunities for fans, turning public spaces into impromptu photo spots, generating further anticipation for the film’s drop.
Brands Jumping on the Bandwagon
Even brands that don’t have a direct partnership or collaboration with the film are jumping onto the back of the cultural moment with brands such as SULT and John West, utilising the film’s premiere for a relevant advertising moment.
Electrolyte brand SULT recreated Andy’s iconic Vogue scene as she struts through the streets of New York into a ‘The Devil Drinks Electrolytes’ sequence.
Tuna brand John West transformed the iconic devil red heels into their signature green colour with tuna chunks skewered on the end, changing the title to The Devil Eats Tuna, followed by Miranda’s iconic line, revamped to fit their product, Tuna for lunch? Groundbreaking.
What Marketers Can Learn From This Movie Marketing Mania
Amid all the buzz and frenzy surrounding the film’s marketing campaign, there are clear lessons that marketers can draw from this promotional playbook.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 has been running campaigns and partnerships long before the film’s release, fully forming the world of the franchise before anyone has even viewed the end product. Therefore, despite the film being the main event, the brand and world-building through partnerships and collaborations are what have turned the film from a 10-year-old sequel into a cultural moment that has extended into audiences’ everyday lives.
Collaborations should feel intentional and fit your brand. The reason why The Devil Wears Prada 2’s collaborations work so well is that they fit the characters’ and films’ identities, meaning the strongest partnerships aren’t random; they are story-driven.
From brands such as SULT and John West, marketers can learn to jump onto the back of cultural moments to create buzz and relevance for their brand. Despite not having direct partnerships with the film franchise, these brands still decided to use the anticipation behind the film’s release to their advantage.
