Disneyverse

Thesis: The Future of Nearness

According to Martin Heidegger, nearness is linked to activities, moments, and movements of bringing-near, bringing distant elements together into a meaningful whole. In the modern world despite the drive for greater connection, Heidegger believes that there seems to be an absence of nearness, revealing an apparent paradox.

The paradoxical nature of nearness will be stress-tested in the post-COVID world. The pandemic has affected the social, political, and economic fabric of our society, one where nearness will be further ruptured. It is bound to be a “different world.” Institutions, brands, and entities will have to redesign connection, for this new world. As branding professionals, we must be equipped to make sense of “mess”. We have the ability and intellect to define compelling and actionable solutions for the many futures that are to come.

We explore
the future
Media &
Entertainment

We will share our point of view on the Futures of Nearness in Media & Entertainment through the lens of a pioneer in the industry. We focused on one of the most iconic American brands, with almost a century of characters, fantasy worlds, and iconic stories. A brand that opened our eyes, ears, and minds to the world of entertainment and imagination.

History & Cultural Relevance

For over a century, Disney has revolutionized the industry theaters, theme parks, and television. But this legacy story starts with the vision of one man. WALT DISNEY. Born on December 5th 1901, in Chicago, Illinois. He lived most of his childhood in Missouri, where he sold drawings and paintings to neighbors and family friends. When Disney was 16, he dropped out of school to join the Army but was rejected. Instead of the army, Disney found work at the Kansas City Film Ad Company, where he made commercials featuring animations.

American producer, director, and animator Walt Disney (1901 – 1966) uses a baton to point to sketches of Disneyland, 1955. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

In 1922 he formed his own ad agency, named Kaycee Studios recruiting Fred Harman as his first employee.
Disney and Harman did well at the start, selling their Laugh-O-Gram cartoons to a local Kansas City theater. But by 1923, their studio had become burdened with debt, and Disney was forced to declare bankruptcy.In 1922 he formed his own ad agency, named Kaycee Studios recruiting Fred Harman as his first employee. Disney and Harman did well at the start, selling their Laugh-O-Gram cartoons to a local Kansas City theater. But by 1923, their studio had become burdened with debt, and Disney was forced to declare bankruptcy.

Imagineers:
Creative imagination. With technical know-how

Imagineers were “the master planning, creative development, design, engineering, production, project management, and research and development arm of the Walt Disney Company.

Imagineers were the people who brought Disney magic to life.
They were an elite, select group of imaginative engineers that truly made the parks engaging. Walt Disney Imagineers are considered by many in the themed entertainment industry to be the best-of-the-best when it comes to creators of Guest experiences and immersive storytelling. It was a coveted position that was of sacred standing within the Disney Brand.

Company Expansion

With the return of Roy E. Disney as vice-chairman came the statement of Michael Eisner as Disney’s CEO, and Frank Wells as the new president in 1984. This brought major shifts to how the company was run. With his leadership, Disney studios revitalized its imaginative tradition of creative storytelling and began to produce acclaimed animated films that tapped into the imaginations of audiences.

As Disney acquired some of the most influential studios and television stations, it became a controlling force in the entertainment and media industry. However, with all these additional brands, the influence, and importance of Imagineering had become diluted and expansion had taken over as the primary driver for Disney.

COVID-19

In 2020 the world was hit with COVID. By March, Covid-19 brought the world to a standstill. With a stay at home orders becoming the new normal, borders were closing and travel was limited to all but essential workers. Entertainment such as theme parks, concerts, and live events have been decimated. Entertainment has seen mixed results but Disney has been severely impacted due to their heavy reliance on physical experiences and traditional media. The pandemic was not the root cause of the problem but accelerated the underlying issues Disney had already been facing.

Competitive Landscape

The competitive landscape that Disney is facing in 2020 is not only traditional media and entertainment but also technology brands, social media networks as well as user-generated platforms.

Strategy

We want to shift Disney from a brand that is focused on traditional media, entertainment, and live experiences,
To a brand that can create an open and inclusive universe that connects digital and physical experiences.

We want to go back to the roots of Disney’s original values. The visionary impact of its founder. The engaging nature of its entertainment both in theaters and theme parks, the imaginative character of Mickey Mouse to bring the Disney brand back to its roots and Imagineering heritage. And the imaginative character of Mickey Mouse to bring the Disney brand back to its roots and imagineering heritage.

Mickey:
Bringing icon to the Forefront

Uber has made great strides in safety in recent years. Partnering with media outlets, launching new in-app features like trusted contacts, and Verify Your Ride, releasing the safety report. But there is more work to be done. Safety has taken on a new meaning since COVID -19 impact our culture. This definition is still very much valid, but in the midst of a global pandemic, safety now means more than protection from incidents involving sexual assault.

Brand Consolidation
Bringing icon to the Forefront

We propose the Consolidation of all things Disney under one voice, a new Disney masterbrand.
But in order to create one voice and position for Disney, there needs to be an assessment of Disney’s heritage.

Brand System + Visual identity

This new brand architecture will allow for united positioning and messaging while celebrating the best of Disney’s heritage.
This system is meant to be minimal in order to create cohesive integration, both internally and externally.

Tactical executions

The brand can invite everyone to dream, internal or external because we are all Imagineers. With our strategic recommendations, we hope to instill within all patrons of the brand, that we are all imagineers.
Let’s start imagineering, together.