Transfer of the Year: Miraculous Ladybug Leaves Volkswagen for BYD!

In the grand world championship of product placement, there is also a winter transfer window in which the players are superheroes.

And this season, the transfer star is neither a football player nor an F1 driver, but a superheroine in red tights with black polka dots. Marinette, the heroine of Miraculous – Ladybug and Chat Noir, seems to change car manufacturers like others change costumes.

To fully appreciate the irony of the moment, let’s take a little trip back to January 2024. At that time, Ladybug was clearly driving for Volkswagen. Several models from the electric ID. range – and even a few prototypes – made appearances in the animated feature dedicated to the origins of the heroes. Paris shone, the cars too, and children left the screening wondering what that pretty futuristic car was. The parents smiled, recognizing a particularly clever product placement. A nearly educational marketing operation: “Look son, it’s an electric compact car!”

Fame is monetized!

Two years later, a change of scenery. The new episode of the automotive saga features BYD, now a strategic partner of the media group Mediawan. Vehicles from the Chinese brand are expected to appear in future productions, including the Miraculous universe, while a “Build Your Dreams” award will recognize young creators at the Cannes Film Festival. In other words, we’re no longer just talking about cars in the backdrop, but an entire creative ecosystem.

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The parallel with football is tempting: same heroine, new jersey sponsor. Except here, the field is digital, familial, and global. This “transfer” mainly illustrates a modern reality: car manufacturers are no longer just looking to sell vehicles; they want to integrate into popular culture. And when a superheroine changes garages, it’s not a mechanical breakdown… it’s a high-speed image strategy.

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