Additionally, DEI was a main topic of conversation throughout Disney’s presentation.

Disney has required multicultural ad buys as part of its upfront negotiations since 2021, and, ahead of the upfront, Ferro told Adweek that after clients tripled Disney’s overall upfront DEI ask in 2022, the company is challenging them to triple its original ask again this year.

Ferro also challenged marketers from the upfront stage to be intentional with their buys.

“Be deliberate about your investments. Lean into all dimensions of diversity. We have the best storytellers who understand culture, and how to talk to the communities in relevant ways,” Ferro said. “We’ve never been more focused as a company to ensure we deliver against all audiences with the quality stories they expect from Disney and our brand partners.”

The lack of major celebrities from the world of entertainment wasn’t lost on the crowd. After all, in place of Kimmel’s usual comedy routine from the end of the event, Ferro took the stage to talk about the company’s tech stack.

Disney previously explained the details of its tech stack to Adweek, revealing that it’s bringing the power of its films and shows to its advertising. But the topic doesn’t lend itself to many laughs.

Then again, with writers and studios still at an impasse as of the presentation, perhaps it isn’t the right time to laugh anyway.