The Magical-Market World of Disney

Monthly Review, April, 2001 by Janet Wasko

As noted previously, a multitude of products were produced by a wide range of licensees. While some of these companies arranged one-time-only contracts with the Disney company, others were part of long-term relationships. The Disney deal with Mattel included the production of ten action figures and seven fashion dolls, but also represented the beginning of a three-year alliance with the toy company serving as Disney's "master toy licensee." Not only the Mattel toys, but other products were given a big push at the industry's Toy Fair in New York in February.

Another indication of the range of Hercules products is evident from looking at just one company's product line. Pyramid, a manufacturer of handbags, backpacks, and assorted rainwear, introduced four groups of Hercules products, each featuring a different treatment or look. One group was called "comic book"--bright and vibrant colors, playing up the hero-comic-book feel of the movie. Another was the "heroic" group, and another "Meg's Garden," obviously appealing to girls with a "romantic" look. The final group was "Daisy Meg," described as "sixties-seventies retro." The different looks obviously indicate the deliberate attempts to appeal to specific segments of the audience.

In addition to the toys, clothes, etc., there were also a myriad of publications associated with the film. A trip to a local bookstore revealed not one or two, but over fifteen different Hercules-related publications. A survey of the Hercules-themed birthday party products available at a local K-mart store included balloons, ribbons, colored cord, wrapping paper, blow-outs, two types of paper hats, treat sacks, three types of stickers, three varieties of napkins, paper table cloth, two styles of paper plates, cups, three different gift bags, streamers, and many different types of cards and invitations. A Greek Decoder Sweepstakes promotion was featured on much of the Hercules merchandise, and was promoted across many of the Disney divisions.

As the Hercules merchandise started appearing in the Disney Stores, some sites received "visual design and theming in support of the film." Around the same time, Hercules products and promos were featured by tie-in partners, including McDonald's, Nestle, Choice Hotels International Inc., Quaker Oats, and General Motors Corp. While each of the tie-ins involved different types of products and activities, the McDonald's promotion, which ran from June 20 to July 24, was probably the most visible.

Other products that began to appear included the film's soundtrack (released by Columbia Records on May 20), as well as interactive merchandise, including Disney's Animated Storybook, Hercules, Disney's Print Studio, Hercules, Disney's Hercules Action Game.

Meanwhile, Hercules hit the Internet. Similar to other film companies, Disney has taken advantage of this emerging resource as a new way of promoting their products, especially upcoming and newly released films. When the Hercules site was launched, it featured details of the 20-city mall tour, summaries of the Hercules story, information about the characters and "stars" of the animated film (each character had a home page explaining their personality), plus other activities (a Wheel of Sparta game, testing "general Hercules knowledge") and information. "Guests" to the site could download the film's trailer, as well as find out information about purchasing tickets to the film. Yet another example of tongue-in-cheek synergy was represented in the ESPN-inspired page, "OSPN: Olympus Sports Panhellenic Network." [2]