Earlier I posted a 30 second ad for Disney’s new Official Community for Fans D23, now here’s a longer version. In addition to the greeting by CEO Bob Iger, this one has more clips from great Disney movies and other memorable moments. It also features Disney Cast Members and Guests talking about some of the greatest Disney moments in their lives. Give it a look and see if you’re not inspired to join.
Disney’s D23: Extended Video Ad
- by John Frost
I find it interesting they included a snippet of Song of the South in this extended montage. Especially considering it’s a movie that is pretty much relegated to bootleg distributions
No, not really inspired by that at all, actually.
I’m not going to join D23. I was going to, until I realized that it was essentially a $70 subscription to four coffee table books that will probably tell me things I already know, and an exposition that I won’t be able to go to because I don’t live anywhere near California.
This is the “OFFICIAL COMMUNITY FOR DISNEY FANS”, but is it even a community at all? I was expecting at least an internet discussion forum, or maybe a rethinking of VMK just for us hardcore Disney fans to visit and hang out it?
But no. What I get for $70 (which, I might add, I have absolutely no problem spending as long as I’m getting something worthwhile like a new VMK or a place to talk to actual Disney fans and not the Disney Mommybloggers like on the DIS BOARDS) is a couple of coffee table books, the information in which I’ll probably have stored inside my noggin by the time I get the darn things. Oh, and the expo.
So, today in 2009 we get an expo. That’s the same thing the Disney fan kiddies were getting more than 50 years ago, with the old Mickey Mouse clubs that met in movie theatres every few weeks. We won’t even be able to meet that often, and we won’t have our own “movie theatres” to go to – we’ve all got to go to Disneyland to meet.
Humbug.
Today, I’m a very disgruntled Disney fan.
I promise I have some non-D23 news coming soon, but in the meantime. Here’s one more video pitch for D23 – http://is.gd/mNOS
Why do Disney CEOs feel that they need to “walk in Walt’s footsteps” and be a “face” for the company? Walt was good at it because (a) he FOUNDED the company and (b) he was a personality. He was also an artist. When he appeared as a rep for the company, he showed off his artist side, not his CEO side (and clearly, he as a darn good businessman too). Were Iger and Eisner hired because they were good artist who were also good businessmen? Because they were sparkling personalities? No, they were hired because they were (arguably) good businessmen. Do I think “fun” when I see a CEO talking for the company? No, I think “Spreadsheets!” Having the CEO as your rep here makes me think “this is about money, not about any passion that you as a fan may have for the brand”. I’ll keep my $70, thanks.
Wow…a community of Disney fans where I have to pay to be a fan? I’ve never heard of another fan club where you’ve had to pay more than a nominal fee in order to essentially support and bolster a brand (which is more to their benefit).
I agree with the above… I have a lot of Disney books, and I’d rather have the choice to buy them or not, rather than: If you want to be part of the fan club, you pretty much will buy the following books which are probably standard Disney photos and fare.
Plus, several fan communities have great meet-ups every year where they have days of parties, informative tours, trivia, games, etc. Sometimes even talks with ex-imagineers. Which sounds like fun! I would guess that Disney’s expo would probably consist of a few panels with Disney people and a whole lotta merch!! So far, the club sounds like it’s a lot about pushing new collectible merchandise, by marketing to people who already collect Disney merchandise. The only thing that would interest me about D-23 is if they had frequent events, meet-ups and panels at the parks. I recently went to a passholder event at WDW. I was debating whether to renew my pass this coming year, but if all of the passholder events are so nice (and I will be attending a few more before it runs out in June), that would convince me to keep it. If D23 is about roping people in to pay for a membership so that they can buy other “discounted” things, “discounted” admissions and “pay-for-play” priveledges… it doesn’t really sound special to me. It just sounds like they are trying to leverage their fan base (or rather the pocketbooks of their fan base). I could be wrong… I hope it’s something really special… I’m just not sure right now.
Adding to SorcererApprentice’s comment; it’s also noteworthy that Bob Iger displays absolutely NO emotion, excitement, or charisma in the video. He looks like some sort of drone.
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