Pixar Social cultivates a global community of fans, animators, creatives, film enthusiasts, and more in an inclusive space where all are welcome. Our social platforms showcase the full spectrum of Pixar’s offerings, from exceptional art and technological innovation to compelling storytelling, humor, and the talented individuals behind the worlds we create for our audiences.
With a strong established presence, the goal for 2024 was to further evolve Pixar’s brand voice to engage a younger audience through platform-specific trend content and enhanced authentic brand interactions. The challenge then lied in resonating with a diverse global fanbase while aligning with emerging trends and cultural shifts.
The strategy focused on creating platform-specific content and engaging with each platform's unique audience. By understanding demographics, we tailored our brand voice to Gen Z on TikTok and Threads, while balancing Millennial and Gen Z on Instagram and X, ensuring content and messaging resonated with each platform’s audience.
Instagram has been key to our success, offering a direct way to connect with our global audience. We focused on maintaining a polished, consistent presence that felt both familiar and innovative. By staying on top of trends, we ensured our content remained relevant and appealing to a diverse audience, balancing trending content and terminology with universal appeal. One trend we leveraged effectively was the Monthly Photo Recaps, offering a behind-the-scenes look at exciting moments in our studio. This approach gave our audience an engaging snapshot of our brand’s culture each month. We also embraced the We're 'blank' Employees trend early in the year, a global sensation across social, leading to an overwhelmingly positive response and reaffirming our path. During the Inside Out 2 release, we capitalized on the popularity of Meme Formats and Art Process videos already familiar on Instagram. At D23, we participated in the Where?! trend, spotlighting our fans in cosplay. Each trend we incorporated was carefully selected to resonate with our global audience, reinforcing our brand’s connection across diverse communities.
On TikTok, we strategically aligned our content with emerging trends to engage the Gen Z audience, ensuring our copy and interactions were authentic to the platform's tone while maintaining Pixar’s unique voice. We capitalized on the cultural moment surrounding the anticipated release of Taylor Swift's latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, by creating a Pixar-inspired version of her song titles and aesthetic. We immediately launched the post to coincide with the album's online release, generating timely engagement. Additionally, we embraced TikTok's trending audio, incorporating it into videos like our Cars Recap. By leveraging popular formats such as Fan Cams and introducing unexpected Animation Glitches, we delivered fresh, unorthodox content that resonated with our fans.
Threads offered a platform for experimenting with trends and engaging directly with Gen Z. Its flexibility allowed us to quickly join relevant trends without extensive production, making it quick-turn and playful. A key success factor was integrating our IP into trending moments, like Felt Cute and If You Can Hear This Picture, where users shared images that coincided with popular audio lines. We also leveraged Threads’ unique features, such as our Lightning McQueen Day post that recreated his iconic intro. By aligning with meme formats, we effectively engaged users with content types they already resonated with.
X was a dynamic platform where we engaged creatively with fans during key cultural moments. For example, we posted a Mustard Heimlich gif during Kendrick Lamar's album release, which DJ Mustard shared as fans began sharing mustard-themed memes. We also engaged with fans during the NY Knicks' loss, LeBron James' post with Anger, Variety’s mention of Beyoncé’s praise for Inside Out 2, and Kyle Busch’s NASCAR-themed Cars post.
In 2024, after strategically implementing platform-specific trend content and enhancing brand interactions, Pixar’s social media saw a remarkable 196% increase in overall audience engagement compared to 2023. Notably, TikTok engagement among users aged 13-24 skyrocketed by 290%.
By curating content tailored to each platform and fostering authentic interactions, we successfully met our objectives, driving significant engagement growth, particularly within younger demographics. This has empowered us to further cultivate an engaging, global Pixar community.
