Inside Kimberly-Clark's Walmart-Exclusive Blend of Disney, Discovery and Play
Kimberly-Clark is activating a full-funnel "Little Monsters" campaign with Disney characters exclusively at Walmart.
From Aug. 1 through Oct. 31, the manufacturer's Huggies and Pull-Ups brands are offering limited-edition SKUs adorned with characters from "Lilo & Stitch" and "Monsters, Inc."
The products are being marketed through in-store displays and digital content, including influencer posts, national media and retail media via Walmart Connect.
The program is tapping into the nostalgia parents have for the movie characters and adding a fun dimension to an everyday baby-care purchase. It is inspired by the playful reality that every child has an inner "little monster," Alexandra Dins Merkel, Kimberly-Clark brand manager, omnichannel marketing, told the Path to Purchase Institute.
"Rather than treating the limited-edition packaging as the campaign endpoint, Huggies used it as the starting point for a connected, full-funnel shopper experience — bringing together entertainment, play and commerce to create moments of discovery and engagement within a traditionally functional category," Dins Merkel says.
In Stores — A Monster Makeover for the Baby Aisle
The limited-edition items are merchandised at Walmart locations on endcaps and half-pallet displays near the baby department.
The campaign also has a Disney-themed aisle takeover retailtainment experience at six Walmart stores. At the select locations, shoppers heading into the baby diaper aisle are greeted by an arch depicting the "Monsters Inc." character Sulley.
Endcaps flanking the aisle are outfitted with headers shaped like other Disney characters. Custom side panels contain movie quotes and an invitation to snap a selfie with the characters.
Headers on the branded half-pallet displays have "Only at Walmart" messaging. QR codes printed on the displays direct shoppers to a custom brand experience page within Walmart.com.
The Partners
The following companies helped bring Kimberly-Clark's "Little Monsters" program to life:
- Breaktime Media
- Disney Consumer Products
- K-C One (created by Publicis Groupe)
- Viral Nation
- Walmart
- Walmart Connect
Online — Taking the Play Beyond the Store
The dedicated brand page is designed to extend the in-store experience into a more interactive digital destination, Dins Merkel says. It gives families the opportunity to take a themed Little Monsters quiz, access downloadable coloring sheets, shop featured products, learn more about potty-training stages and explore additional family-friendly content tied to the campaign.
The products also have an additional QR code inside that unlocks a surprise digital experience with games and other interactive content.
The bottom of the brand page includes various video posts from influencers supporting the campaign. Kimberly-Clark and its bespoke agency K-C One partnered with Viral Nation on the influencer portion of the program.
Viral Nation helped shape the creator strategy and influencer activation approach, identifying parenting and family-focused creators who could authentically bring the Little Monsters story to life.
"We identified partners that have shown love for Disney in the past and know our brands," Dins Merkel says. "The influencer work was designed to extend the campaign beyond the retail environment, creating social content that highlighted relatable parenting moments, the limited-time Disney designs and the excitement of finding the collection at Walmart."
Retail Media and Other Media – Connecting the Campaign Across Channels
Through its K-C One agency partnership, Kimberly-Clark is running ads across Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube (including YouTube Shorts) and the manufacturer's national display campaigns.
The company also partnered with Walmart to run some of the ads across the retailer's handles on similar platforms to gain more exposure to the Walmart shopper and parents.
Kimberly-Clark worked closely with Walmart Connect and its 1W (One Walmart) team to bring the campaign to life across the shopper journey.
"The collaboration helped connect the in-store retailtainment experience, Walmart media placements, custom brand experience page, and digital engagement touchpoints into one cohesive program," Dins Merkel says.
Early results show strong momentum supported by organic content, she says.
