What you will find in the article:
- Tom and Jerry's advertising history spans over 85 years.
- New film "Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass" premieres in Czech cinemas August 2026.
- Film features a unique Chinese-American collaboration and historical mythology.
- Tom and Jerry have been used in various global advertising campaigns.
- The duo's appeal lies in their dialogue-free, universally understandable antics.
The new feature film Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass arrives in Czech cinemas on 20 August 2026. Written and directed by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Gang, the film is an unusual Chinese-American collaboration based on one of Warner Bros.’ most famous animated franchises.
This time, Tom and Jerry’s traditional chase begins in a Manhattan museum. During the pursuit, the pair activate a mysterious compass and find themselves in a fantastic world inspired by historical China, where they encounter mythical creatures and new adversaries. The project took approximately five years to make and represents an attempt to transport the classic American cartoon into the world of Chinese mythology. For Czech audiences, the film is new, but it has already travelled quite a long way. It premiered in China on 2 August 2025 and is gradually reaching other global markets throughout 2026.
Tom and Jerry as Both a Film and Advertising Brand
The history of Tom and Jerry, of course, did not begin with feature films. The cat and mouse created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera first appeared as early as 1940, and their simple premise offered one major advantage for advertising: it worked almost entirely without dialogue. Chases, traps, food, jealousy and the disastrous consequences of Tom’s plans are understandable almost anywhere in the world. It is worth noting that in this first film, the characters did not yet have the names we know today. The cat was called Jasper, while the mouse was unnamed.
The first feature film, Tom and Jerry: The Movie, was made in the early 1990s and reached US cinemas in 1993. From today’s perspective, it is interesting that by the late 1980s and early 1990s, Tom and Jerry were already being used extensively in advertising. And far from all of these campaigns were tied to the release of a new film, showing that by the time of their first feature-length movie, Tom and Jerry were already functioning as an attractive advertising brand.
Opel Corsa: Jerry Finds the Perfect Hiding Place
A German commercial for the Opel Corsa from the early 1990s uses exactly what made Tom and Jerry so easy to transfer into advertising – the chase. Jerry runs from Tom, while the car becomes part of their animated world. The commercial therefore does not need to alter the characters or explain a complicated advertising story: the product is simply inserted into a situation the audience already knows perfectly well.
Video: Opel Corsa Eco – Tom & Jerry
Pepsi Cool: Thirst in the Middle of a Classic Chase
French Pepsi used Tom and Jerry in 1999 to promote the caffeine-free Pepsi Cool variant. Unlike advertisements that placed the duo in entirely new settings, this commercial also worked with footage from the classic short film Cue Ball Cat. The advertised product could therefore become part of a world the audience already knew from the original cartoons. The brand did not need to explain the characters or their relationship. A few seconds were enough for viewers to know instantly who was chasing whom – and why the situation was almost certain to end in disaster.
Video: Pepsi Cool – Tom and Jerry, France
Ford Mondeo: Tom and Jerry Jump Out of the TV
A particularly interesting example is the 2003 British commercial for the Ford Mondeo. Tom and Jerry literally leave the television screen and continue their chase in the real world. They demolish part of the living room, make their way outside, and Jerry eventually uses the advertised car as another means of escaping Tom. The commercial was created with the official approval of Warner Bros., with Ogilvy behind the campaign. Animation was handled by studio Icepics, while post-production studio Rushes was tasked with convincingly integrating the animated characters into the live-action environment. The creators added reflections, shadows, colour adjustments and film grain to the animated characters, helping Tom and Jerry look like a genuine part of the filmed scenes.
Video: Ford Mondeo – Tom & Jerry, UK
McDonald’s: Tom and Jerry as Stop-Motion Figures
In 2015, British McDonald’s also turned to the duo in a commercial titled “Static Shocks”, promoting Tom & Jerry toys available with Happy Meals. This time, however, it was not a classic hand-drawn animation. Tom and Jerry were transformed into physical figures animated using stop motion, without losing their familiar hunter-and-prey dynamic. The commercial was created by Leo Burnett UK. According to producer Marty Geren, production took twelve weeks. In addition to stop-motion animators, CGI artists, set designers and creators of custom-built props were also involved.
Video: McDonald’s – Tom and Jerry “Static Shocks”
The 2021 Film Showed Just How Much Marketing Potential the Brand Still Has
Another major film opportunity came with director Tim Story’s live-action and animation hybrid Tom & Jerry. Starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Michael Peña and Ken Jeong, the film opened in US cinemas on 26 February 2021 and was simultaneously released on HBO Max for a limited period. It eventually grossed approximately USD 136 million worldwide.
This time, licensing and partnership strategy was already a highly visible part of the film’s marketing. Warner Bros. signed a deal with Australian company Moose Toys, which became a merchandise partner for the film. Tom and Jerry also received their own animatronic parade float, Tourist Trap, at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Warner Bros. also released two new Tom and Jerry Special Shorts shortly before the premiere to mark the franchise’s 81st anniversary. Their timing naturally helped boost attention around the new feature film as well. Marketing was therefore no longer limited to a traditional trailer and poster: the film was linked with merchandising, television appearances, streaming content and licensing events. Interestingly, Tom and Jerry’s licensing life continued even after the premiere. McDonald’s, for example, offered an extensive series of Tom & Jerry Happy Meal toys in several Asian countries during 2021. In Malaysia, customers could collect ten different toys.
Forbidden Compass Sets Off Another Advertising Chase
With Forbidden Compass, this model returns, but the focus of the campaigns has logically shifted to China, where the film was originally created. Film merchandising is once again operating at full speed. The advertising is accompanied by limited-edition products, special packaging, gifts and collectible items. Brands are benefiting not only from the fame of the characters, but also from nostalgia – Tom and Jerry have been broadcast on Chinese television since the late 1980s, and for today’s adults they are a reminder of their own childhood.
One of the main themes is – unsurprisingly – food. Jerry’s obsession with cheese gives brands an almost ready-made advertising script, while the classic chase makes it possible to create a commercial that works without lengthy dialogue.
Pizza Hut: Jerry’s Weakness for Cheese Becomes an Advertisement
Chinese Pizza Hut linked the release of Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass with an extensive food and merchandising campaign. The range included special cheese-based products inspired by the characters, such as Tom’s sesame cheese dessert and a holey cheese cake referencing Jerry. Customers could also create their own themed pizza designs, while the campaign included a range of collectible items. The most interesting element, however, was a standalone animated commercial released under the title “Cheese Researcher”.
Video: Pizza Hut China – Tom & Jerry “Cheese Researcher”
Yo!Fine Dairy: A Chase for Yoghurt
Even Jerry can have too much cheese. So why not offer him yoghurt instead? Chinese brand Yo!Fine Dairy, part of the portfolio of dairy company Mengniu, linked its products directly with the film Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass in 2025. Alongside limited-edition packaging and themed gifts, the company also created its own animated commercial. The advertisement relies on a formula that has worked for decades: Jerry wants something, Tom refuses to let him have it, and the chase begins. This time, however, the object of the fight is the advertised yoghurt. The brand simply inserted its product into the middle of a classic Tom and Jerry cartoon – and let the two heroes take care of the rest. The campaign later continued online as well.
Video: Mengniu × Tom & Jerry – advertising campaign for Tom & Jerry: Forbidden Compass.
When Neither Tom nor Jerry Appears in the Ad – Only the Music
Sometimes viewers recognise Tom and Jerry even when they cannot see them at all. Just a few notes are enough. Over the decades, the cat and mouse have made not only themselves famous, but to some extent also the music that accompanied their battles. And in one case, that connection is particularly strong. Franz Liszt certainly did not write Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 specifically for Tom. He could not have done so. He died more than half a century before the famous cat first unsheathed his claws. Yet many people today know the piece precisely because of him.
The reason is the 1947 short film The Cat Concerto. In it, Tom gives up chasing mice for once, puts on a tailcoat and transforms himself into a concert pianist. He sits down at the piano before an audience and launches into Liszt’s rhapsody. There is only one problem: Jerry is asleep inside the piano. And a Jerry awakened by the hammers of a concert grand is not exactly the ideal musical partner. What follows is one of the most famous musical battles in animation history. Tom tries to maintain the dignity of a concert virtuoso, Jerry sabotages the piano from within, and Liszt’s music precisely mirrors every blow, escape and ensuing disaster. The result was so successful that The Cat Concerto won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
Video: Tom and Jerry – The Cat Concerto
Perhaps partly thanks to this film, Liszt’s rhapsody found its way into advertising and never disappeared from screens. Quite the opposite. Advertising creatives still use it today – sometimes in ways that may remind viewers of Tom and Jerry even when neither the cat nor the mouse appears anywhere in the commercial.
Stella Artois: Tom and Jerry Without Tom and Jerry
A frozen lake, skating priests and a crate of beer. In the 2005 Stella Artois commercial “Ice Skating Priests”, one of the priests falls through the ice together with the beer, prompting his colleagues to rush to the rescue. Before long, however, it is not entirely clear whether they are trying to save their friend or the beer. The slapstick scene is accompanied by Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, which sets the rhythm for the gags in much the same way as in The Cat Concerto. The commercial was directed by Jonathan Glazer, later the director of The Zone of Interest, and won a Gold Lion at Cannes Lions 2006. There is no documented direct inspiration from Tom and Jerry, but the resemblance is charming: the same music, no dialogue and perfectly timed disasters. Only this time, Jerry has been replaced by a crate of beer.
Video: Stella Artois – Ice Skating Priests
Coca-Cola: Liszt Returns to the Animated World
An even more interesting circle closed ten years later. Coca-Cola celebrated the 100th anniversary of its famous contour bottle in 2015, marking the occasion with the animated commercial “Tale of Contour”. This time, the main character is neither a cat nor a mouse, but the Coca-Cola bottle itself. The advertisement tells the story of how the bottle acquired its distinctive curves and sends it on an adventurous journey full of animated gags and exaggerated situations. And once again, Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 plays in the background. At this point, fans of classic animation may experience a very specific sense of déjà vu. We have animation, slapstick action and Liszt, whose music reacts to everything happening on screen – the very combination that The Cat Concerto showcased as early as 1947. Coca-Cola, of course, never claimed it was paying tribute to Tom and Jerry. Hungarian Rhapsody has a life of its own far beyond animated films, and linking every use of it to the Hanna-Barbera duo would be an exaggeration. But as a small advertising echo, it is delightful. Put simply, Tom and Jerry do not need to appear in an advertisement for us to hear something we know because of them.
Video: Coca-Cola – Tale of Contour
It is actually one of the best examples of just how deeply Tom and Jerry have become embedded in viewers’ memories. The animated cat and cheeky mouse helped shape several generations’ understanding of what animated comedy looks like: minimal dialogue, maximum disaster, and music that knows exactly when the frying pan is about to hit. And sometimes, just a few notes by Franz Liszt are enough to bring that memory back.
Tom and Jerry Are Ideal Inspiration for Advertising
The new film builds on a successful tradition and offers advertisers another opportunity to make the most of the popularity of these beloved characters. From a brand perspective, both characters offer several significant advantages: they are instantly recognisable, work across generations, and their humour requires neither lengthy explanations nor dialogue. That is precisely why Tom and Jerry have been able to promote products as different as the Opel Corsa, Pepsi, Ford Mondeo and Happy Meal in the past. And the same principle still works decades later for pizza, milk and yoghurt. Jerry wants something, Tom tries to stop him, and within seconds everything is turned upside down. Only the cheese that starts the chase may now carry a Pizza Hut logo.