We Came To Play

We all know Disney, the undisputed machinator of magic across the globe. But when Disney Parks wanted to invite Black families to bring THEIR magic? We replied with “say less”. We Came To Play is unlike anything Disney has ever attempted. Working with Yellow Shoes, Disney’s in-house agency, we crafted Disney’s FIRST evergreen campaign that speaks to and with Black families, compelling them to bring all of who they are to the parks. I was entrusted with leading the work for Walt Disney World–from the first line of our spots to directing the VO of those spots, the casting of a multi-generational family, to shooting in Walt Disney World where I could completely geek out, this campaign proved dreaming still applies in adlife.

  • Role Lead Writer
  • For WALT DISNEY WORLD
  • Date November 2023- December 2024
  • Type TV, Streaming, Radio, Social, OOH
  • URL disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/came-to-play/
  • Leadership Rebecca Willians/GCD, Vinh Tran/CD
  • Partners Robin Morrison/ACD, Ronnie Voss/AD

ESSENCE FESTIVAL LAUNCH

When the team wanted to pre-launch the entire We Came To Play campaign, we thought "Where would we find the bulk of our main demographic gathered together in ONE place to just be their glorious selves, having a good time?" ESSENCE Fest was the obvious answer. We pulled together visuals across Disney resources, but the VO needed to spellbind and give audiences more than a taste of what was coming their way--so, that's what I did.

WALT DISNEY WORLD CAMPAIGN

"I Have Arrived" :30

"I ...have...arrived" the young girl says with a sense of awe and determination as she steps into Magic Kingdom. The thematic spot for Walt Disney World is one that features the undaunted magic and genuine joy within a black family. As they take in all the wonderment and thrills Disney World holds, they explore in their own unique way, because they came to play.

Radio | "For Play, Play" :30

Radio | "We Came For All Of That" : 15

Radio | "What Magic Is" :30

NATIVE AND PAID SOCIAL

After the successful launch of We Came To Play for Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort, we took it to the sea, extending the campaign for Disney Cruise Line (DCL). However, there were special challenges in making this iteration float. The strategy remained the same: “extend an intentional invitation to black guests” but this time we had to add a sheen and exclusive LUXE that DCL offers in abundance. We continued our relationship with the same team to make the We Came To Play trilogy campaign sea-ready. At the helm as the key and lead writer, the DCL chapter boasted Broadcast and Streaming spots, bespoke “organi-paid” Social, Radio, and Print.