In an effort to ratchet up the allure of its theme parks, Disney has embraced the power of celebrities. Specifically, beautifully shot celebrities in fantasy settings. (And no, I'm not just talking about high-production value porn. At least I'm not talking about it now. See me later about that - it's all quite tasteful.) Disney has had famed photographer Annie Leibovitz shoot famous folks from David Beckham to Scarlett Johansson as they recreate Disney characters in a series of ads that will run in high-end lifestyle magazines such as W, Vogue and The New Yorker as well as Cookie, the Disney-owned parenting title. In one ad, Johansson plays Cinderella as she runs down a staircase in full formal wear. My favorite, though, features Beyonce Knowles as Alice, Lyle Lovett as the March Hare and Oliver Platt as the Mad Hatter. The casting of the latter two is inspired enough to make me wish for a live action Alice in Wonderland film.
This is just the first wave in this particular campaign. Later ads will have other celebs recreating Peter Pan, Tinker Bell and Ariel from the Little Mermaid. The ads are part of Disney's "Year of a Million Dreams" campaign.
The Disney Blog has some behind the scenes pictures from the shoots.
