Anne Hathaway Faces Backlash Over ‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ Marketing Blitz
Key Points
- Aggressive marketing sparks backlash, accused of smothering the original film’s legacy
- Airport takeover and corporate tie-ins dominate public spaces and consumer brands
- Nostalgic promos and cheap merchandise risk reducing sharp, stylish film to corporate spectacle
ANNE Hathaway’s eagerly awaited sequel, The Devil Wears Prada 2, is stirring up controversy — but not for its storyline.
Instead, critics are slamming the film’s relentless marketing campaign, claiming it’s smothering the original’s legacy.
The blitzkrieg of ads has taken over JFK Airport’s Terminal 8, where travellers can’t escape the film’s logo plastered on every surface, from moving walkways to giant digital billboards featuring Hathaway and Meryl Streep.
This isn’t just airport overload.
The campaign extends to partnerships with Starbucks, Coca-Cola, Target, and more, turning the film into a sprawling commercial event rather than a cinematic one.
Fans and critics alike have pointed out that the tie-in merchandise, especially clothing from Old Navy, misses the mark on the original’s chic style, feeling cheap and disconnected.
Promos lean heavily on nostalgia, recycling iconic quotes and fashion moments instead of spotlighting the new story, which some see as a sign the film is trading on past glory rather than fresh content.
Many warn this saturation risks diluting what made the original a cultural touchstone — its sharp script, depth, and style — reducing it all to a corporate parade.
One observer summed it up: the campaign seems less a tribute and more like an in-joke the original film itself would have mocked.
