For the return of the Star Wars saga to theaters after seven years away from the big screen, Disney decided not to settle for a traditional billboard campaign.
In Madrid, giant outdoor posters literally lifted off the ground, floating several centimeters above their base as if Grogu himself was using the Force to hold them in place.
Created with Havas Creative and installed across Cibeles, Calle Alcalá, Alonso Martínez, and Fuencarral on May 18 and 19 ahead of the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu on May 21, the activation turned the film’s official poster into a real-life urban spectacle. And the smartest part? It wasn’t CGI.
Billboards that actually float
At a time when many spectacular OOH campaigns only exist as fake out-of-home videos designed for TikTok and Instagram, Disney went in the opposite direction. These billboards genuinely levitated thanks to a magnetic levitation system developed by Andtonic.
The technical challenge was significant. Keeping a large outdoor advertising structure suspended and stable in public space means dealing with wind, traffic vibrations, and constant pedestrian movement. But that realism is exactly what made the installation so effective. People walking by weren’t questioning whether it was edited. They were stopping because it felt impossible.
Turning passersby into spectators
What makes the idea work is that it does more than simply promote the film. It extends the mythology of Star Wars into the real world.
The Force, the invisible energy capable of moving objects, becomes the narrative engine of the campaign itself. Instead of just looking at a poster, pedestrians witness a scene that feels pulled directly from the universe of the movie.
It is also a reminder that experiential marketing still carries unique power when it creates genuine physical wonder. In an entertainment landscape where streaming platforms have weakened the cultural weight of theatrical releases, studios are increasingly looking for ways to make cinema feel like an event again.
And in this case, Disney didn’t just advertise a Star Wars film. It made Madrid briefly feel like it existed inside one.
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