We’ve all seen Mickey Mouse in this classic pose before, typically
on a t-shirt.
Copyright Disney. All Rights
Reserved
But here’s some food for thought: Would it cheese you off to
see Mickey portrayed in this fashion?
Photo by Jim Hill
Or – better yet – would it bug you to see Disney’s corporate
symbol depicted in this manner?
Photo by Jim Hill
Earlier this summer, attendees at this year’s Licensing
International Expo got to see lots of different takes on Mickey Mouse. As these
folks entered & exited the show floor at the Mandalay Bay Hotel &
Casino, they couldn’t help but see the banners that were hanging overhead.
Photo by Jim Hill
Not to mention all of those posters that covered the columns
in the lobby area of the Mandalay Bay’s convention center. Which featured
dozens of different interpretations of Disney’s main mouse.
Photo by Jim Hill
“And what was the point of this Mickey Mouse art display?,”
you ask. Well, Disney Consumer Products was looking to get the word out about
its exciting new initiative for 2010, the “Mickey by” program.
How many of you recall what DCP did back in 2003, when this
branch of The Walt Disney Company created that line of clothing which – for a brief moment in time – were embraced by trendsetters? Mouse
House execs loved seeing all of those pictures of celebrities wearing vintage Mickey
Mouse t-shirts that popped up in fashion magazines worldwide. So they’re now
out to make another run at that market.
Now where this gets interesting is that – for the “Mickey By”
program – Disney Consumer Products is reaching out to well-known artists.
Commissioning them to create their own unique take on the Mouse in this classic
pose. Mind you, this is a global
initiative – involving all sorts of different interpretations of Mickey Mouse –
be they dimensional pieces of art …
Photo by Jim Hill
… or posters that deliberately reference earlier works. Which
then put Disney’s corporate symbol in a whole new light.
Photo by Jim Hill
DCP’s goal here is to build a library of bold new takes on
Mickey Mouse that are sure to appeal to young adults. Consumer Products will
then use these images as (I’m quoting directly from the DCP press release now. So
please forgive the corporate speak) “… the foundation for fashionable
applications across many product categories. “
Translation: You’re going to see the images that are
produced by the “Mickey By” program reproduced on vintage t-shirts, handbags,
pins & jewelry. Not to mention posters & cards. And did I mention that –
through the Disney Store’s on-line shopping portal – you’ll also be able to
personalize the apparel that you purchase by incorporating specially selected
images from the “Mickey By” collection?
Of course, what’s kind of ironic here is that that this bold
new DCP initiative (which could – in theory – generate tens of millions of
dollars for The Walt Disney Company in 2010 and beyond) keys off of an image of
Mickey Mouse that baby boomers first embraced back in the 1960s? And that image
took its inspiration from the model sheets that Disney animators used to use
while they were churning new Mickey Mouse shorts back in the late 1920s / early
1930s.
Talk about your clever corporate recycling programs.
Photo by Jim Hill
So what do you folks think? Based on what you’ve seen so far, will the “Mickey By” program actually start a fashion trend in 2010?