Disney raised hackles with its Super Bowl ad to thank employees – just days after the Mouse House announced plans to cut thousands of jobs.
The 90-second commercial celebrating the company’s 100th anniversary featured a montage of scenes from various Disney movies and properties released over the last century, including “Star Wars” and “Avatar.”
The “Disney 100” campaign was intended as a “celebration of all of our fans and families, and our storytellers and creative visionaries,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a press release.
Buying the Super Bowl commercial, which cost as much as $7 million per spot, sparked criticism. The tech blog Gizmodo described it as an ill-timed “victory lap.”
“For as much touching footage as there is in the Super Bowl spot, it’s not wrong to call this a grimly timed flex,” the outlet said in a post.