After seven years away from theaters, the Star Wars universe returned to cinemas this week with The Mandalorian and Grogu, and Disney celebrated the launch by bringing a little bit of the Force into the real world.
In partnership with Havas Creative, Disney unveiled a striking experiential campaign across Madrid featuring floating outdoor billboards suspended above city streets as if Grogu himself were using the Force to levitate them.
The activation ran May 18 and 19 at several of Madrid’s busiest and most recognizable locations, including Cibeles, Alonso Martínez, Calle Alcalá, and Fuencarral, stopping pedestrians in their tracks and instantly turning the campaign into social media bait.
And unlike most “floating” billboard stunts, these displays weren’t visual effects or hidden supports disguised with camera angles. The structures were actually hovering in midair thanks to a custom magnetic levitation system developed by engineering company Andtonic.
According to the campaign team, the installation posed a significant technical challenge because the system had to remain stable outdoors while dealing with wind, traffic vibrations, and changing street conditions.
The campaign cleverly tapped into one of the most iconic concepts in the Star Wars mythology: the Force itself, the invisible energy capable of moving and levitating objects. For longtime fans, seeing movie posters seemingly suspended over real city streets created the kind of immersive moment Disney increasingly wants audiences to associate with the franchise’s theatrical return.
The launch also signals Disney’s broader push to reignite theatrical excitement around Star Wars after pivoting heavily toward Disney+ series over the past several years, including The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, Andor, and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Directed by Jon Favreau and starring Pedro Pascal, the new film marks the franchise’s first theatrical release since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
At a time when outdoor advertising increasingly competes for attention in cities overloaded with screens and signage, Disney and Havas found a simple solution: make the billboard float.
Colin Costello is the West Coast Editor of Reel 360 News. Contact him at colin@reel360.com or follow him on LinkedIn.
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