A two-hour prime-time special on ABC. Cupcakes the size of cars at Disneyland Paris. Collaborations with a dozen fashion designers. More than 30 books.
Small and subtle are not the Walt Disney Co.'s style. But a new effort to focus attention on one of its oldest characters, Mickey Mouse, is truly something to behold. Disney is using Mickey's 90th birthday on Nov. 18 as a monstrous marketing moment, with the company's cross-promotional machine revved up to what may be its highest level yet. Every corner of the $168 billion company is contributing to the campaign, which will intensify Sunday when ABC runs "Mickey's 90th Spectacular."
Disney executives describe the effort as a chance to polish the company's broader brand and remind people — as Netflix moves deeper into family entertainment and Disney prepares to unveil its own streaming service — that the Magic Kingdom has been serving up beloved characters for decades. Mickey made his official debut in 1928 in "Steamboat Willie," Hollywood's first cartoon with synchronized sound.
Unless lawmakers intervene, Disney's control of the Mickey copyright will expire in five years. So there's no time like the present to rally around him.
Disney has billions of dollars in merchandise sales to consider. Mickey and his friends (Minnie, Pluto, Goofy) make up Disney's top-selling consumer products franchise, generating annual retail sales of at least $3.2 billion. That tally does not include the Disney Store chain or outlets at Disney's theme parks.
New York Times
