The film was the first Disney animated one to include real world advertised products. More than 30 company logos and brand names were shown in it, including Kodak, Dr. Scholls, Sony, Diet Coke, Tab, McDonald's, Yamaha, Ryder, and USA Today.[18] However, the filmmakers commented on ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney that this was for realism, was not paid product placement, and that it would not be New York City without advertising.[19] Instead, Katzenberg urged the marketing campaign to focus on the classic Dickens novel and the pop score,[16] and promotional tie-ins included Sears, which produced and manufactured products with themes inspired from it, and McDonald's which sold Christmas musical ornaments based on Oliver and Dodger, and small finger puppets based on the characters in a Happy Meal.[19][20] For its theatrical re-release in 1996, it was accompanied with a promotional campaign by Burger King.[21]

In the United Kingdom, the film was not distributed by Buena Vista International, but by Warner Bros.[22] Buena Vista International did however release it on home video.