I’m pretty sure most people would agree that the Walt Disney Company employs some pretty creative geniuses. If they don’t have all the ones they want, they just buy the company they work for (i.e. Marvel and Lucas Films). Being a life-long Disney fan, I’m often excited by the new things they come up with, but I’m rarely surprised. I’ve come to expect cutting edge technology, engaging (even if not always original) storylines, loveable characters, and top-notch marketing to draw me in. But I have to say that I think Frozen takes it to a whole ‘nother level!
Disney’s Frozen
Of course there’s beauty and artistry above and beyond what we’ve seen before. The costumes are just gorgeous! Of course the music is beautiful and catchy so that we’ll sing the songs around our houses and won’t be able to get them out of our heads. There are so many versions of “Let It Go” out there that I don’t even try to keep up with them. Of course it’s star-studded. And with any new Disney film, there comes merchandise. This time, it is a doozy! They can’t keep it on the shelves, even now, coming up on 7 months after the release of the film! Even I spent 2+ hours in the Disney Store one Saturday morning securing the elusive Elsa dress for my niece.
I spent more than 2 hours at the Disney Store to get this dress for my niece. Aunt of the year, right here!
Then there are the characters. Wait times to visit with Elsa and Anna have been as high as 3 hours!
Wait times can be as high as 3 hours to see these 2 in the park.
However, none of this is really all that surprising to me.
So if it’s not all of this, what is it that makes it truly genius, in my opinion? It’s that little snowman Olaf!
Olaf
Here’s the thing. It’s a movie, released just in time for winter, about a perpetual winter. So of course it was going to be appropriate for the holiday season. However, it’s not particularly Christmas or holiday themed, so it had staying power throughout the winter. Then just as winter was wrapping up, the DVD came out, carrying it through the spring. Still not too surprising because most blockbusters get that second surge as the movie is released on DVD. Here’s where Olaf comes in and does what no other movie has done before (that I know of). Olaf is a snowman who loves summer!
Olaf loves summer!
He is all about it! So now Olaf is taking it past the DVD surge, giving the movie yet even more longevity, and taking Frozen into pop culture phenomenon territory. Also, what the creators did with this character never even occurred to me while I was watching the movie. Sure, I thought it was cute that a snowman loved summer. I just didn’t realize that we, the consumers, were being set up for more Frozen saturation 2 seasons into the future. This just hit me this week, the first week of summer, and now Olaf and Frozen are popping up in full force everywhere again. Since the hype never really died down, it seems as though it’s actually gaining strength with this 3rd push. Do I think this is an accident? Absolutely not! I think it’s pure genius!
I can just imagine the planning sessions the creative minds of Frozen had in the early stages of development. One person pops up and says, “I’m not so sure about this guys. It’s a winter movie and no one’s going to care about it in the summer.” See, another thing Disney does very well is they create stories that they can use any time, in all of their platforms. Parks, merchandise, dining, attractions, even Disney Cruise Line and their luxury destination travel arm, Adventures by Disney, get in on the action. Another guy or gal chimes in with, “What if we take this little snowman here and make him have a love affair with summer?” The room is silenced as everyone looks around at each other. Finally, someone says, “How would we do that?” Yet another person drops in with, “Let’s put this little song and dance number in about summer.” There ya go! Problem solved! I bet they are all on a beach somewhere, smoking cigars, grinning and high-fiving each other, sitting on their Olaf beach towels. What will they think of next?
I bet this is what the Frozen creative team is doing right about now.
Congratulations to Katie Hughes, for winning my Coppertone Clearlysheer giveaway. Now, just think of all the fun you’ll have, in summer!
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Olaf is awesome!
Totally agree!
Remember the previews they had, it was just Olaf and Sven. Almost nothing that told what the movie was about. You never saw a human character.
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