The original 2006 film was a box-office hit — earning more than $300 million — and was a typical example of organic product placement, helped by the unobtrusive presentation of brands whose presence in the setting of a fashion magazine felt entirely logical. Brand mentions in the original film, however, were rather incidental. An attentive viewer may have noticed that Andy goes to Starbucks for coffee, that the offices contain Mac computers, or that Andy wears a Chanel necklace after her transformation. And the fact that Miranda proudly carried a Prada handbag was, given the title of the film, entirely logical.
A number of famous brands have ridden the wave of the sequel
With the new film The Devil Wears Prada 2, by contrast, marketers have left nothing to chance. After all, there is no better opportunity to promote designer pieces than a film built around fashion. The management of the parent company of distributor 20th Century Studios was certainly open to marketing collaborations and entered into partnerships with leading brands in their respective sectors.
“It’s not just logos everywhere, not just promotion for promotion’s sake,” said Lylle Breier, executive vice president of global marketing partnerships and special events at Disney. “We worked to build the best marketing partnership programme that’s ever been launched, carefully and collectively, with world-class brands… that could be partners with us through the life cycle of the movie.”
The participating brands include cosmetics companies Lancôme, L’Oréal Paris and TRESemmé, which fit perfectly into the setting of fashion-magazine model shoots, as well as Starbucks and Diet Coke, which feel entirely natural in the hands of sleep-deprived, sensation-hungry journalists.
What is interesting is that, unlike standard film promotional campaigns, the advertising spots linking branded products with the world of The Devil Wears Prada 2 contain very little footage from the film itself. Among the brands that seized the opportunity presented by the new film’s premiere is Diet Coke:
Video: A Diet Coke and Devil Wears Prada 2 please. That's all.
In addition to the advertising spot, Diet Coke is also offering a special edition of slim cans and the “Canny Pack”, a special leather handbag designed to hold a can of the drink. The bag’s design is attributed to fashion designer James Holt, played in the original film by Daniel Sunjata.
Google and Samsung, meanwhile, used the new film to showcase Google Try On in search and the Circle Search with Google feature on the new Galaxy S26 Ultra:
Video: The Devil Wears Prada 2 | Galaxy S26 Ultra | Samsung
Samsung also used the Galaxy S26 Ultra to capture red-carpet outfits at the film’s world premiere, held on 20 April at Lincoln Center, thereby demonstrating the phone’s ability to create visually attractive, “cinematic” content ready for social media.
As part of its campaign, Starbucks introduced a limited offer of four drinks inspired by the film’s main characters, designed to bring a “cinematic” experience into everyday coffee routines. Customers can try, for example, Miranda’s Signature Order, Andy’s Cappuccino, Nigel’s Go-to Doppio or Emily’s Fave Iced Chai. Each drink is intended to reflect the personality of a particular character. The campaign also includes broader activities: Starbucks appears directly in the film, and special editions of Runway magazine will be available at the Starbucks Reserve store in the Empire State Building in New York. In addition, the brand enlisted Adrian Grenier, who played Nate, the boyfriend of protagonist Andy Sachs in the original film, to promote the brand:
Video: Good Energy with Adrian Grenier: Starbucks & The Devil Wears Prada 2
L’Oréal Paris has also entered into a marketing partnership with Disney. Its advertising spot tells a story of an unexpected mistake and the resulting case of mistaken identity. It features brand spokeswomen Kendall Jenner and Simone Ashley in a stylish tribute to the iconic film.
Video: L’Oreal Paris x The Devil Wears Prada 2: You're worth it. That’s all.
Lancôme, too, did not miss the opportunity to raise its profile. In the spot “The Absolute Impossible Task”, actress Pauline Chalamet, who plays a beauty editor at Runway magazine, and actor Caleb Hearon, appearing as another member of the Runway team, take on an “impossible task” assigned to them by Miranda: obtaining the as-yet-unreleased Lancôme Absolue Longevity MD skincare line. In other words, a light parallel with the unpublished manuscript from the original film.
Video: Pauline Chalamet takes on the impossible task in the Devil Wears Prada 2
Current marketing activity also revolves around the colour cerulean blue, which was the subject of a conversation in the first film, where Miranda explains that even a seemingly ordinary colour has its origins in decisions made by the fashion industry.
The iconic colour known from the original film has been revived, for example, by Smartwater, which belongs to The Coca-Cola Company. To mark the premiere of the new film, it is launching a limited-edition bottle in this shade and, at the same time, a digital challenge for fans — an interactive game in which participants have to identify cerulean among various shades of blue within a set time limit. Successful players can earn themed titles and compete for prizes such as cinema tickets, Runway magazine or the limited-edition bottle. The campaign thus extends the film experience into both digital and consumer environments.
Source: SmartwaterGrey Goose, the premium French vodka brand, has in turn introduced cocktails inspired by The Devil Wears Prada 2 — cocktails that are reportedly designed to surpass even Miranda Priestly’s exacting standards.
The popular French vodka producer has also decided to organise experiential events where guests can sample “The Devil’s Roast” cocktail. This signature drink is a new version of the coffee ordered by the iconic editor-in-chief of Runway magazine in the original film — this time, however, with Grey Goose. For this campaign, Grey Goose secured the involvement of supermodel and television personality Heidi Klum, who appeared as herself in the original 2006 film and is also returning in the sequel. She will star in original branded content set in the world of Runway magazine, cocktail in hand. The cocktail is in fact a tribute to the models of the 1980s and 1990s, as it was once known as the “model martini” and was very popular among supermodels.
Video: Grey Goose - Heidi Klum
Haircare brand TRESemmé, part of the Unilever group, has launched the “Get Your Hair on the A-List” campaign, which also connects its A-List Collection product range with The Devil Wears Prada 2. The central element of the campaign is an advertising spot featuring ambassador Paige DeSorbo and designer Christian Siriano. The campaign also includes three limited-edition products inspired by the film. TRESemmé is thus targeting a broader audience, including fans of the original film, and is making greater use of traditional media alongside social networks. The entire communication is built around the idea that runway and red-carpet styling can be accessible to everyone.
Video: Paige DeSorbo's A-List Hair: Ultra Sleek Hair – The Devil Wears Prada 2
The sequel to the box-office hit — the new film The Devil Wears Prada 2 — shows that film can be a natural part of marketing strategies across a range of sectors. In this case, brands are no longer merely background accessories. They are very much aware of the opportunity offered by a strong theme and well-known characters to reach audiences in different contexts. Moreover, collaboration has long since ceased to mean product placement alone; it now involves complex campaigns ranging from television spots and digital activations to retail and dedicated product collections. And it is perfectly clear that partnerships of this kind can support both the film and the brands themselves. The first film was hugely successful. The new one is expected to repeat that success and offer an even stronger connection between film, fashion and advertising.