Disney, G-P seal cooperative deal

Pulp & Paper, Feb 2005

CORPORATE STRATEGY

Georgia-Pacific Corp. (G-P) will soon be supplying Walt Disney Parks and Resorts with its line of tissue, napkins, Dixie cups and plates, and other away-from-home products, as part of a 10-year agreement announced in January in New York City.

G-P's Quilted Northern bath tissue, Angel Soft toilet paper, Vanity Fair napkins, and Dixie products will be used by employees and guests of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

"For the past 10 years, G-P has been taking solid steps in moving our company closer to the consumer, especially through the growth of our consumer products business," said G-P chairman and CEO A.D. "Pete" Correll, in a release. "This alliance with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is a unique opportunity to link our i brands, which are trusted and used by families in more than 85% of U.S. households, with the world's leading family entertainment destinations and is another bold step in the evolution of our company."

The alliance also includes G-P's sponsorship of Disney venues. G-P's Brawny paper towels will sponsor the "Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show" opening this spring at the Disney-MGM Studios in Florida. Attaching the Brawny paper towel to Disney will expose the brand to millions of stunt show attendees each year, G-P said.

"G-P isn't the first to recognize that mass marketing has lost much of its power and is being replaced by marketing to millions of individual consumers," said G-P executive v.p. Michael Burandt. "Most importantly, we see this alliance and announcement as the start of a great combination of the Disney brand and Georgia-Pacific, and its stable of consumer products brands that may grow and expand for years to come."

G-P's brand of disposable tableware, Dixie, will also be the title sponsor of Mickey's Backyard BBQ pavilion and Chip n Dale's Campfire Sing-a-long at Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, both located in Florida.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts includes 11 theme parks, a cruise line, 35,000 hotel rooms, and seven Vacation Club resorts with 84,000 members, along with golf courses, water parks, and sports entertainment.