Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada has set the stage for a royal battle between the “Red" and “White" Queens with a subway station domination that promotes the March 5 release of Alice in Wonderland, a 3D fantasy adventure directed by Tim Burton.
Toronto’s Queen Street subway station has been taken over by platform poster displays and large-scale custom decals featuring the Queens (the Red Queen played by Helena Bonham Carter and the White Queen played by Anne Hathaway) in scenes from the Mad Hatter’s tea party.
The effort is meant to give “a feeling of the magic of Wonderland and play up the rivalry of the two Queens," said Lauren Richards, CEO of SMG Canada, which includes Starcom, the agency that handled the placement.
The words “Red" and “White" appear above the “Queen" station signs on the platform walls, marking the first time the Toronto Transit Commission has allowed the station name to be incorporated into advertising.
“The impact of the advertising being integrated into the station name is really amazing," said Richards. “That’s where the magic is, we’re embedding into content in the subway."
According to Starcom, an estimated 57,000 TTC riders pass through the Queen Street station each day.
Large decals featuring Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter also appear in the stairwell and in the tunnel between the two platforms. Disney’s L.A. office tailored the creative for the Queen Street station, said Richards.
