General

It’s going to be im-possible to escape Kim Possible this summer

When Wal-Mart and the Walt Disney Company combine their marketing might, that’s a combination that few consumers can resist. Which is why (I predict) a lot of us are going to end up owning “Kim Possible” merchandise by the end of this summer.

Published

20 years ago

August 4, 2003

Jim Hill

Surely, by now, you know who Disney’s Kim Possible is.

If not, here’s a quick primer: “Kim Possible” is the title character of a surprisingly entertaining animated series that currently airs on both the Disney Channel and ABC. At first glance, Kim would appear to be your typical high school student. Rushing to cheerleading practice. Worrying about homework and/or boys.

But then her Kimmunicator goes off. And — once again — Ms. Possible finds herself charging around the globe, off on yet another adventure. Trying to defeat various super villains with the help of her best friend, the well-meaning but somewhat-inept Ron Stoppable; her brilliant webmaster, Wade as well as Ron’s pet, a charmingly obnoxious Naked Mole-rat named Rufus.

Okay. I know. This may sound like a really unlikely premise for a successful TV show. But ratings don’t lie, kids. “Disney’s Kim Possible” is a really-for-real rating smash. Since this program initially debuted on the Disney Channel in June 2002, both adults and children have been drawn to this cleverly designed, wittily written program.

How big a success are we talking here? Back in May of this year, “Disney’s Kim Possible” was the No. 1 basic cable program on Friday nights from 6:30 to 7 p.m. among kids ages 6 to 11. This made “KP” the first program that has ever aired on the Disney Channel that’s ever come close to clobbering the competition (AKA Nickelodeon).

Of course, when you’re a Disney Company executive and you’ve got a success of this size on your hands, what’s your first thought that runs through your head: That’s right! “Quickly cash in.” Which is why — over the past week or two — a veritable tidal wave of “Kim Possible” merchandise has come rolling into stores nationwide.

Or should I say “store.” For the Disney Corporation is using a brand new play book for the launch of its “Kim Possible” merchandise line. You see, rather than flooding all sorts of stores around the country with “Disney’s Kim Possible” games, toys and action figures, the Mouse has opted to put all of its “KP” eggs in a single shopping basket. Wal-Mart’s shopping basket, to be precise.

Of course, when the Walt Disney Company decides to combine its marketing might with Wal-Mart, you can get that other giant corporations will want to get in on the fun. Which is why Coca-Cola and McDonalds both wound up becoming promotional partners in the “Let’s-try-and-make-as-much-money-off-of-Kim-Possible-as-possible” game.

Want to know how this multi-million dollar promotional campaign is going to play out? Then let me walk you through the approximate timeline:

Saturday, July 12th – A summer-long “Disney’s Kim Possible” promotional event kicked off on the Disney Channel with the airing of all 21 episodes from the first season of the show. Throughout this 10½ hour long block of programming, viewers were constantly reminded that the second season of the “New and Kim-Proved” “Disney’s Kim Possible” would kick off on the Disney Channel on Friday, July 18th.

Friday, July 18th – The first new episode of “Disney’s Kim Possible”‘s second season — “Naked Genius” — aired on the Disney Channel.

Sunday, July 20th – Coca-Cola rolled out its “Disney’s Kim Possible” tie-in promotional campaign. Select packs of Coke Classic will feature Kim Possible Kimmunicator cards inside packaging. Consumers will have to buy multiple multi-packs of Coke product in order to collect all five cards.

Tuesday, July 22nd – The “Disney’s Kim Possible” soundtrack album debuted in music stores nationwide.

Monday, July 28th – “Disney’s Kim Possible” Fashion dolls, Mini-dolls, Mission Ready Poseables, Wigglin’ Characters and plush hit Wal-Mart store shelves.

Also in July: As part of a Wal-Mart specific promotion, Act II popcorn packages began hyping the upcoming release of the “Kim Possible: The Secret Files” video and DVD.

Sounds pretty impressive so far, doesn’t it? Wait. There’s more. Starting in late August / early September, the “Kim Possible” promotional machine really kicks into gear. For this is when the Disney Channel will begin airing ads that will tell viewers that they have to go to Wal-Mart on Saturday, September 6th.

Why for? Well, in a historic bit of retailtainment (“What’s ‘retailtainment’?” you ask. The product of an unholy alliance between retail and entertainment. Think “Planet Hollywood.” Think “Hard Rock Café.” You get the idea, right?), a brand-new episode of “Disney’s Kim Possible” will debut on the Wal-Mart Television Network. So the only way that you’re going to be able to see this show’s world premiere is if you go to your local Wal-Mart, then stand around and stare up at one of those overhead television monitors.

Of course, leading up to this one-of-a-kind event, both the Walt Disney Company and Wal-Mart will really be pulling out the stops. Doing everything they can to cash in on all that “Kim Possible” related-hype.

Tuesday, September 2nd – The “Disney’s Kim Possible: The Secret Files” DVD and video (which will also feature a never-before-seen new episode) hits store shelves nationwide.

Friday, September 5th – McDonald’s debuts a “Disney’s Kim Possible” Happy Meal. The fast food chain hopes to move 50 million premiums (that’s a lot of hamburgers!) as part of this four-week-long promotional campaign.

Saturday, September 6th – Wal-Mart stores nationwide will be hosting a day’s worth of in-store “Disney’s Kim Possible” related activities (I.E. games, contests, giveaways, etc) leading up to the in-store premiere of that special “Kim Possible” episode.

And just a week after this — on Saturday, September 13th — the first episode from the second season of “Disney’s Kim Possible” debuts as part of ABC Kids.

You see what I mean, folks? This is perhaps the largest, most carefully co-ordinated promotional campaign for a children’s television program in the history of the media. I mean, I wonder if this much thought actually went into the planning of the Normandy invasion ‘way back on “D Day”?

Seriously, though … have you ever heard of a promotional campaign that was this elaborate? With this many big-time players involved? It’s clear that Disney and Coca-Cola and Wal-Mart and McDonald’s hope that — with enough hype — consumers will have no choice but to watch “Kim Possible” on the Disney Channel and/or buy “Kim Possible” dolls, DVDS, commemorative soda packages as well as Happy Meals.

Mind you, all of this in-your-face promotional hype might be really offensive … if it weren’t for the fact that “Disney’s Kim Possible” is still a very entertaining program. Produced and created by Disney Television Animation vets Robert Schooley and Mark McCorkle, “KP” is one of those rarer-than-rare shows. A TV program that’s entertaining for both adults and kids. If you haven’t seen “Disney’s Kim Possible” yet, make plans now to check out this program … before all the hype gets to be much too much. You’ll then find that “KP” really is a fun show. Well worth going out of your way to see and/or setting your TiVo to record.

And as for all of this new “Kim Possible” tie-in merchandise … would you believe that — even though all of this Wal-Mart exclusive “Disney’s Kim Possible” stuff has only officially been on store shelves for 8 days now — that a hot, hard-to-collect “KP” toy has already emerged from the pile.

And what toy is that? Would you believe that it’s the “Bloated Rufus,” one of the “Disney’s Kim Possible” bean possible plushes.

And what — pray tell — is a “Bloated Rufus?” It’s this truly funny looking beanbag version of Rufus, the Naked Mole-rat. The teeny pink plush is in the seated position, clutching a taco, while his hugely distended belly protrudes out in front of him. In short, it’s a really doofy looking doll. Which (I’m guessing) is why Wal-Mart is having trouble keeping this particular version of Rufus in stock.

Another hot seller (at least according to the Wal-Mart employees that I’ve spoken with) is the “Bueno Nacho Rufus Wigglin’ Character.” This is basically this bobblehead doll that depicts everyone’s favorite Naked Mole-rat as being dressed in a sombrero and serape while he stands upright on top of an order of cheesy nachos. (Honestly, this “Disney’s Kim Possible” Wigglin’ Character is really not as gross as it sounds. In fact, based on how quickly this Wal-Mart item is moving, it’s pretty clear that a lot of “KP” fans find this particular version of Rufus to be irresistible.)

Anyway, that’s “the sitch” with the on-going massive promotional campaign for “Disney’s Kim Possible.” So now, if you find that it seems like you just can’t escape “KP” this summer … well, here’s the reason why. Okay?

Your thoughts?

General

Seward Johnson bronzes add a surreal, artistic touch to NYC’s Garment District

Published

8 years ago

June 23, 2015

Jim Hill

Greetings from NYC. Nancy and I drove down from New
Hampshire yesterday because we'll be checking out
Disney Consumer Products' annual Holiday Showcase later today.

Anyway … After checking into our hotel (i.e., The Paul.
Which is located down in NYC's NoMad district), we decided to grab some dinner.
Which is how we wound up at the Melt Shop.

Photo by Jim Hill

Which is this restaurant that only sells grilled cheese sandwiches.
This comfort food was delicious, but kind of on the heavy side.

Photo by Jim Hill

Which is why — given that it was a beautiful summer night
— we'd then try and walk off our meals. We started our stroll down by the Empire
State Building
…

Photo by Jim Hill

… and eventually wound up just below Times
Square (right behind where the Waterford Crystal Times Square New
Year's Eve Ball is kept).

Photo by Jim Hill

But you know what we discovered en route? Right in the heart
of Manhattan's Garment District
along Broadway between 36th and 41st? This incredibly cool series of life-like
and life-sized sculptures that Seward
Johnson has created.

Photo by Jim Hill

And — yes — that is Abraham Lincoln (who seems to have
slipped out of WDW's Hall of Presidents when no one was looking and is now
leading tourists around Times Square). These 18 painted
bronze pieces (which were just installed late this past Sunday night / early
Monday morning) range from the surreal to the all-too-real.

Photo by Jim Hill

Some of these pieces look like typical New Yorkers. Like the
business woman planning out her day …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the postman delivering the mail …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the hot dog vendor working at his cart …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the street musician playing for tourists …

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention the tourists themselves.

Photo by Jim Hill

But right alongside the bronze businessmen …

Photo by Jim Hill

… and the tired grandmother hauling her groceries home …

Photo by Jim Hill

… there were also statues representing people who were
from out-of-town …

Photo by Jim Hill

… or — for that matter — out-of-time.

Photo by Jim Hill

These were the Seward Johnson pieces that genuinely beguiled. Famous impressionist paintings brought to life in three dimensions.

Note the out-of-period water bottle that some tourist left
behind. Photo by Jim Hill

Some of them so lifelike that you actually had to pause for
a moment (especially as day gave way to night in the city) and say to yourself
"Is that one of the bronzes? Or just someone pretending to be one of these
bronzes?"

Mind you, for those of you who aren't big fans of the
impressionists …

Photo by Jim Hill

… there's also an array of American icons. Among them
Marilyn Monroe …

Photo by Jim Hill

… and that farmer couple from Grant Wood's "American
Gothic."

Photo by Jim Hill

But for those of you who know your NYC history, it's hard to
beat that piece which recreates Alfred Eisenstaedt's famous photograph of V-J Day in Times Square.

Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, a 25-foot-tall version of this particular Seward
Johnson piece ( which — FYI — is entitled "Embracing Peace") will actually
be placed in Times Square for a few days on or around August 14th to commemorate the 70th
anniversary of Victory Over Japan Day (V-J Day).

Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, if you'd like to check these Seward Johnson bronzes in
person (which — it should be noted — are part of the part of the Garment
District Alliance's new public art offering) — you'd best schedule a trip to
the City sometime over the next three months. For these pieces will only be on
display now through September 15th.

General

Wondering what you should “Boldly Go” see at the movies next year? The 2015 Licensing Expo offers you some clues

Published

8 years ago

June 10, 2015

Jim Hill

Greeting from the 2015 Licensing Expo, which is being held
at the Mandalay Bay
Convention Center in Las
Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

I have to admit that I enjoy covering the Licensing Expo.
Mostly becomes it allows bloggers & entertainment writers like myself to
get a peek over the horizon. Scope out some of the major motion pictures &
TV shows that today's vertically integrated entertainment conglomerates
(Remember when these companies used to be called movie studios?) will be
sending our way over the next two years or so.

Photo by Jim Hill

Take — for example — all of "The Secret Life of
Pets" banners that greeted Expo attendees as they made their way to the
show floor today. I actually got to see some footage from this new Illumination
Entertainment production (which will hit theaters on July 8, 2016) the last time I was in Vegas. Which
was for CinemaCon back in April. And the five or so minutes of film that I viewed
suggested that "The Secret Life of Pets" will be a really funny
animated feature.

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, Universal Pictures wanted to make sure that Expo
attendees remembered that there was another Illumination Entertainment production
coming-to-a-theater-near-them before "The Secret Life of Pets" (And
that's "Minions," the "Despicable Me" prequel. Which
premieres at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival next week but
won't be screened stateside 'til July 10th of this year). Which is why they had
three minions who were made entirely out of LEGOS loitering out in the lobby.

Photo by Jim Hill

And Warner Bros. — because they wanted "Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice" to start trending on Twitter today — brought
the Batmobile to Las Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention full-sized macquettes of Batman, Superman and
Wonder Woman. Just so conventioneers could then see what these DC superheroes
would actually look like in this eagerly anticipated, March 25, 2016 release.

Photo by Jim Hill

That's the thing that can sometimes be a wee bit frustrating
about the Licensing Expo. It's all about delayed gratification. You'll come
around a corner and see this 100 foot-long ad for "The Peanuts Movie"
and think "Hey, that looks great. I want to see that Blue Sky Studios production
right now." It's only then that you notice the fine print and realize that
"The Peanuts Movie" doesn't actually open in theaters 'til November
6th of this year.

Photo by Jim Hill

And fan of Blue Sky's "Ice Age" film franchise are in for an even
longer wait. Given that the latest installment in that top grossing series
doesn't arrive in theaters 'til July
15, 2016.

Photo by Jim Hill

Of course, if you're one of those people who needs immediate
gratification when it comes to your entertainment, there was stuff like that to
be found at this year's Licensing Expo. Take — for example — how the WWE
booth was actually shaped like a wrestling ring. Which — I'm guessing — meant
that if the executives of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. didn't like
the offer that you were making, they were then allowed to toss you out over the
top rope, Royal Rumble-style.

Photo by Jim Hill

I also have to admit that — as a longtime Star Trek fan —
it was cool to see the enormous Starship Enterprise that hung in place over the
CBS booth. Not to mention getting a glimpse of the official Star Trek 50th
Anniversary logo.

Photo by Jim Hill

I was also pleased to see lots of activity in The Jim Henson
Company booth. Which suggests that JHC has actually finally carved out a
post-Muppets identity for itself.

Photo by Jim Hill

Likewise for all of us who were getting a little concerned
about DreamWorks Animation (what with all the layoffs & write-downs &
projects that were put into turnaround or outright cancelled last year), it was
nice to see that booth bustling.

Photo by Jim Hill

Every so often, you'd come across some people who were
promoting a movie that you weren't entirely sure that you actually wanted to
see (EX: "Angry Birds," which Sony Pictures Entertainment / Columbia
Pictures will be releasing to theaters on May 20, 2016). But then you remembered that Clay Kaytis —
who's this hugely talented former Walt Disney Animation Studios animator — is
riding herd on "Angry Birds" with Fergal Reilly. And you'd think
"Well, if Clay's working on 'Angry Birds,' I'm sure this animated feature
will turn out fine."

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, there were reminders at this year's Licensing Expo
of great animated features that we're never going to get to see now. I still
can't believe — especially after that brilliant proof-of-concept footage
popped up online last year — that Sony execs decided not to go forward
with production of Genndy Tartakovsky's
"Popeye" movie. But that's the
cruel thing about the entertainment business, folks. It will sometime break
your heart.

Photo by Jim Hill

And make no mistake about this. The Licensing Expo is all
about business. That point was clearly driven home at this year's show when —
as you walked through the doors of the Mandalay
Bay Convention Center
— the first thing that you saw was the Hasbros Booth. Which was this gleaming,
sleek two story-tall affair full of people who were negotiating deals &
signing contracts for all of the would-be summer blockbusters that have already
announced release dates for 2019 & beyond.

Photo by Jim Hill

"But what about The Walt Disney Company?," you
ask. "Weren't they represented on the show floor at this year's Licensing
Expo?" Not really, not. I mean, sure. There were a few companies there hyping
Disney-related products. Take — for example — the Disney Wikkeez people.

Photo by Jim Hill

I'm assuming that some Disney Consumer Products exec is
hoping that Wikkeez will eventually become the new Tsum Tsum. But to be blunt,
these little hard plastic figures don't seem to have the same huggable charm
that those stackable plush do. But I've been wrong before. So let's see what
happens with Disney Wikkeez once they start showing up on the shelves of the
Company's North American retail partners.

Photo by Jim Hill

And speaking of Disney's retail partners … They were
meeting with Mouse House executives behind closed doors one floor down from the
official show floor for this year's Licensing Expo.

Photo by Jim Hill

And the theme for this year's invitation-only Disney shindig? "Timeless
Stories" involving the Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm brands that
would then appeal to "tomorrow's consumer."

Photo by Jim Hill

And just to sort of hammer home the idea that Disney is no
longer the Company which cornered the market when it comes to little girls
(i.e., its Disney Princess and Disney Fairies franchises), check out this
wall-sized Star Wars-related image that DCP put up just outside of one of its
many private meeting rooms. "See?," this carefully crafted photo
screams. "It isn't just little boys who want to wield the Force. Little
girls also want to grow up and be Lords of the Sith."

Photo by Jim Hill

One final, kind-of-ironic note: According to this banner,
Paramount Pictures will be releasing a movie called "Amusement Park"
to theaters sometime in 2017.

Photo by Jim Hill

Well, given all the "Blackfish" -related issues
that have been dogged SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment over the past two years, I'm
just hoping that they'll still be in the amusement park business come 2017.

Your thoughts?

General

It takes more than three circles to craft a Classic version of Mickey Mouse

Published

8 years ago

June 9, 2015

Jim Hill

You know what Mickey Mouse looks like, right? Little guy,
big ears?

Truth be told, Disney's corporate symbol has a lot of
different looks. If Mickey's interacting with Guests at Disneyland
Park (especially this summer, when
the Happiest Place on Earth
is celebrating its 60th anniversary), he looks & dresses like this.

Or when he's appearing in one of those Emmy Award-winning shorts that Disney
Television Animation has produced (EX: "Bronco Busted," which debuts
on the Disney Channel tonight at 8 p.m. ET / PT), Mickey is drawn in a such a
way that he looks hip, cool, edgy & retro all at the same time.

Looking ahead to 2017 now, when Disney Junior rolls out "Mickey and the
Roadster Racers," this brand-new animated series will feature a sportier version
of Disney's corporate symbol. One that Mouse House managers hope will persuade
preschool boys to more fully embrace this now 86 year-old character.

That's what most people don't realize about the Mouse. The
Walt Disney Company deliberately tailors Mickey's look, even his style of
movement, depending on what sort of project / production he's appearing in.

Take — for example — Disney
California Adventure
Park's "World of Color:
Celebrate!" Because Disney's main mouse would be co-hosting this new
nighttime lagoon show with ace emcee Neil Patrick Harris, Eric Goldberg really had
to step up Mickey's game. Which is why this master Disney animator created
several minutes of all-new Mouse animation which then showed that Mickey was
just as skilled a showman as Neil was.

Better yet, let's take a look at what the folks at Avalanche Studios just went
through as they attempted to create a Classic version of Mickey & Minnie.
One that would then allow this popular pair to become part of Disney Infinity
3.0.

"I won't lie to you. We were under a lot of pressure to
get the look of this particular version of Mickey — he's called Red Pants
Mickey around here — just right," said Jeff Bunker, the VP of Art
Development at Avalanche Studios, during a recent phone interview. "When
we brought Sorcerer Mickey into Disney Infinity 1.0 back in January of 2014,
that one was relatively easy because … Well, everyone knows what Mickey Mouse
looked like when he appeared in 'Fantasia.' "

"But this time around, we were being asked to design
THE Mickey & Minnie," Bunker continued. "And given that these Classic
Disney characters have been around in various different forms for the better
part of the last century … Well, which look was the right look?"

Which is why Jeff and his team at Avalanche Studios began watching hours &
hours of Mickey Mouse shorts. As they tried to get a handle on which look would
work best for these characters in Disney Infinity 3.0.

"And we went all the way back to the very start of Mickey's career. We began
with 'Steamboat Willie' and then watched all of those black & white Mickey shorts
that Walt made back in the late 1920s & early 1930s. From there, we
transitioned to his Technicolor shorts. Which is when Mickey went from being
this pie-eyed, really feisty character to more of a well-behaved leading
man," Bunker recalled. "We then finished out our Mouse marathon by
watching all of those new Mickey shorts that Paul Rudish & his team have
been creating for Disney Television Animation. Those cartoons really recapture
a lot of the spirit and wild slapstick fun that Mickey's early, black &
white shorts had."

But given that the specific assignment that Avalanche Studios had been handed
was to create the most appealing looking, likeable version of Mickey Mouse
possible … In the end, Jeff and his team wound up borrowing bits & pieces
from a lot of different versions of the world's most famous mouse. So that
Classic Mickey would then look & move in a way that best fit the sort of
gameplay which people would soon be able to experience with Disney Infinity
3.0.

"That — in a lot of ways — was actually the toughest
part of the Classic Mickey design project. You have to remember that one of the
key creative conceits of Disney Infinity
is that all the characters which appear in this game are toys," Bunker
stated. "Okay. So they're beautifully detailed, highly stylized toy
versions of beloved Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm characters. But
they're still supposed to be toys. So our Classic versions of Mickey &
Minnie have the same sort of thickness & sturdiness to them that toys have.
So that they'll then be able to fit right in with all of the rest of the
characters that Avalanche Studios had previously designed for Disney Infinity."

And then there was the matter of coming up with just the
right pose for Classic Mickey & Minnie. Which — to hear Jeff tell the
story — involved input from a lot of Disney upper management.

"Everyone within the Company seemed to have an opinion
about how Mickey & Minnie should be posed. More to the point, if you Google
Mickey, you then discover that there are literally thousands of poses out there
for these two. Though — truth be told — a lot of those kind of play off the
way Mickey poses when he's being Disney's corporate symbol," Bunker said.
"But what I was most concerned about was that Mickey's pose had to work
with Minnie's pose. Because we were bringing the Classic versions of these
characters up into Disney Infinity 3.0 at the exact same time. And we wanted to
make sure — especially for those fans who like to put their Disney Infinity
figures on display — that Mickey's pose would then complement Minnie.

Which is why Jeff & the crew at Avalanche Studios
decided — when it came to Classic Mickey & Minnie's pose — that they
should go all the way back to the beginning. Which is why these two Disney icons
are sculpted in such a way that it almost seems as though you're witnessing the
very first time Mickey set eyes on Minnie.

"And what was really great about that was — as soon as
we began showing people within the Company this pose — everyone at Disney
quickly got on board with the idea. I mean, the Classic Mickey that we sculpted
for Disney Infinity 3.0 is clearly a very playful, spunky character. But at the
same time, he's obviously got eyes for Minnie," Bunker concluded. "So
in the end, we were able to come up with Classic versions of these characters
that will work well within the creative confines of Disney Infinity 3.0 but at
the same time please those Disney fans who just collect these figures because
they like the way the Disney Infinity characters look."

So now that this particular design project is over, does
Jeff regret that Mouse House upper management was so hands-on when it came to
making sure that the Classic versions of Mickey & Minnie were specifically
tailored to fit the look & style of gameplay found in Disney Infinity 3.0?

"To be blunt, we go through this every time we add a new character to the
game. The folks at Lucasfilm were just as hands-on when we were designing the
versions of Darth Vader and Yoda that will also soon be appearing in Disney
Infinity 3.0," Bunker laughed. "So in the end, if the character's
creators AND the fans are happy, then I'm happy."

This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Tuesday, June 9, 2015