The Stories Behind Lilo & Stitch’s Disney-Spoofing Ads

The Stories Behind Lilo & Stitch’s Disney-Spoofing Ads

In 2002, ‘Lilo & Stitch’ ads blew raspberries in the face of Disney tradition, dropping Stitch into ‘The Lion King,’ ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ and ‘The Little Mermaid.’ Here’s the story behind that revolutionary marketing campaign.

How Lilo And Stitch's Famous "Crossover" Ads Happened - Anime Superhero News

The success of Lilo and Stitch was not a guarantee in 2002, given what the feature animation market was like at the time. CGI films were making money hand over fist, while traditionally animated films were increasingly ignored. Shrek had just come out, widely regarded as the game-changer and herald of 2D movies’ demise. It seemed like Lilo and Stitch would need a miracle to get noticed. They found one. The way Disney introduced Stitch to the wor…