Okay. I know. It’s not considered cool or kosher to peek at
your Christmas presents. Especially six months ahead of time.
But half the fun of attending a PR event like yesterday’s
Disney Consumer Products’ Holiday Showcase in New York City is that you get a
preview of what will be showing up on store shelves shortly. The toys …
Disney’s never produced a
“Cinderella” playset that’s this complete before. With three
separate
dresses for Cinderelly to wear, not to mention dolls of Anastasia,
Drizella and
Lady Tremaine. Photo by Nancy Stadler
and playsets …
Note the detail on this
transforming coach playset. With the wheels on
Cinderella’s pumpkin coach
replicating the look of this same vehicle
in that 1950 Walt Disney Production. Photo
by Nancy Stadler
… that the Mouse will be putting out there to help cash in
on / support the October 2nd release of “Cinderella” on Blu-ray
.
Walt Disney Studios Home
Entertainment’s limited edition version of
the “Cinderella” Blu-ray
will not only include both of this animated
feature’s direct-to-video sequels,
these discs will also be
housed in a collectible jewelry box case.
Photo by
Nancy Stadler
Not to mention “Wreck-It Ralph” …
(L to R) The title character
of this upcoming Walt Disney Animation Studios release as
well as Vanellope von
Schweetz, one of the characters featured in the “Sugar Rush”
portion
of this Rich Moore movie. Photo by Nancy Stadler
… which will be rolling into theaters on November 2nd of
this year.
You gotta love that Wreck-It
Ralph plush in the back of this shot
which replicates the 8-bit version of this
video game
character. Photo by Nancy Stadler
What’s fascinating about attending an event like DCP’s
Holiday Showcase is that you then get a real sense of how the retail side of
the Mouse House truly operates. The years of advance planning & careful
coordination that go into making sure that the Tinkerbell & Periwinkle toys
will hit store shelves in mid-September, six weeks ahead of when the latest
Disney Fairies home premiere, “Secret of the Wings
,” finally becomes
available for purchase on October 23rd.
These “Disney
Fairies” action figures have an interactive feature. When Tink &
Periwinkle are placed back-to-back, their wings light up.
Photo by Nancy
Stadler
As you might expect, DCP is always looking for new ways to
cash in on the popularity of already hot characters like Agent P from “Phineas
& Ferb)
” …
There were a plethora of
platypus-related products on display yesterday.
Photo by Nancy Stadler
… But every so often, you’d see a trial balloon. Like a
shoe which featured the likeness of Isabella, the leader of the Fireside Girls on
that hit Disney Channel / Disney XD animated series. The goal is to see if consumers — particularly
young females — might be interested in purchasing products which featured this
“Phineas & Ferb” character’s likeness.
Photo by Nancy Stadler
Swampy the Alligator from Disney’s “Where’s My
Water” mobile game was getting a similar sort of push. DCP is testing the
waters, if you will, to see if there is really enough consumer demand out there
to justify further expansion of the Swampy the Alligator / “Where’s my
Water” brand.
Photo by Nancy Stadler
That — at least according to a number of people that I’ve
spoken within retail circles — is the Disney difference. This Company
understands how important it is to keep even the evergreen characters that
Disney owns (like the Muppets, for example) fresh and current …
Photo by Nancy Stadler
… which is why Dr. Teeth, Gonzo and Animal will be showing
up on snowboards this holiday season.
But at the same time, it’s about taking the assets that you
already have (Take, for example, the Disney Villains
) …
Photo by Nancy Stadler
… and finding new ways to showcase them. Like imagining these classic characters as fashion icons; running the
gamut from Disney’s original bad girl, the Evil Queen from “Snow White and
the Seven Dwarfs” …
Photo by Nancy Stadler
… all the way up to Mother Gothel from “Tangled”
…
Note Rapunzel’s healing flower on Mother Gothel’s
dress. Photo by Nancy Stadler
… giving each of these Disney Villains a glamorous
makeover. Not to mention supporting this series of limited edition designer
dolls with a beauty collection of cosmetics — lip gloss, nail polish,
eye-liner and the like …
Photo by Nancy Stadler
… — as well as bags, silk scarves and other items of
apparel.
Photo by Nancy Stadler
So as you can see, there’s a level of real sophistication here.
Not just in the design of these limited edition Disney Villain items, but in
Disney’s overall approach to the retail world. Making sure that the right products
arrive in the marketplace at precisely the right time. Take — for example —
the Disney-licensed Spider-Man items pictured below which are out on store
shelves right now. Just in time to capitalize on the July 3rd release of
Columbia Pictures’ “The Amazing Spider-Man.”
Photo by Nancy Stadler
Don’t get me wrong. It’s cool to go to an event like this
and then see something that you want to own RIGHT NOW. Like that Wreck-It Ralph
or this super-cool Zurg which Thinkway
built …
Photo by Nancy Stadler
But for me, the fun of attending something like Disney
Consumer Products’ Holiday Showcase is not that you get to see what’s hitting
store shelves six months ahead of time. But — rather — you get a look at how
the retail arm of The Walt Disney Company really operates. Which — given its almost military precision,
planning everything down to the last detail — is both fascinating and a little
bit frightening when you get to see it up-close like this.
Your thoughts?