12 Greatest Ever Disney Trailers
4. Snow White And The Seven Dwarves - Trailer
The movie that led to all the others on this list, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves was a truly unprecedented phenomenon when it was released in 1937. Walt Disney was always an excellent self-promoter, and this early trailer effectively built up publicity for a project which many were still sceptical about.
The trailer is unique because it does not actually show any footage from the movie. Instead, we are shown some of the 250,000 animation cells used to bring the familiar fairy tale to life. There had been animated films before, but none of them had been this difficult to make, and the focus on the technical artistry really made the imagery seem even more impressive.
However, Disney films have always been defined by their colourful cast of characters, and the innovative approach of the trailer was applied to the best characters in the film, the Seven Dwarves. Walt Disney himself showcased figurines of each of the dwarves, providing a brief outline of their distinctive personalities.
His descriptions were simple but effective, and together with the evocative names and vivid figurine designs, they brought the Doc, Grumpy, Dopey and the other Dwarves to life. The familiarity of the Snow White story ensured that Disney could focus on the visuals and characters which are the main selling points of the movie. It’s telling that even though this teaser is over 80 years old, it is still more impressive and interesting than most of the promotional material created today.