A Vespa for Luca. The incursion of real brands in Pixar movies

Abstract

This paper is a theoretical exploration of the application of the advertising placement tool in Pixar's animated films. Specifically, it analyses the presence of real and fictitious brands in different films by the film company and their importance in the story. In an overall reading, the work done with the Vespa brand for the film Luca (Casarosa, 2021) stands out with special attention. It is an unprecedented case in the history of the company and is paradigmatic for its storydoing. To carry out this study, an exploratory-descriptive methodology has been applied, in which the question is explored in depth using audiovisual measurement and narratology tools. As a result, we obtain a qualitative study that reflects the importance of the use of this technique with narrative applications to design and communicate interpretable stories for the contemporary spectator.