Disney is a brand that’s had an incomparable position in our society since its establishment in 1923. Through its multitude of characters and stories, it’s successfully created an association, an air, if you will, of magic with its name.
Their ability to invoke a sense of nostalgia unmatched by any other brand is an element of the brand’s continuous success. The position Disney tales have in countless generation’s hearts makes the success of upcoming films, such as The Lion King (2019) and Aladdin (2019), already assumed and practically known.
Fashion brands don’t carry this ability. Fashion brands are in a position where they must create the desire for consumers to purchase their products, much like every other brand apart from Disney. Disney doesn’t find itself sharing this need to create a desire for their products, that desire is already there, placed in the hearts of Western society, many years ago, under the title of ‘nostalgia’.
In recent times fashion brands have recognised Disney’s incomparable power, with high end brands like Gucci incorporating recognisable images from Disney’s large archive of tales and characters.
Josh Silverman, the man in charge of Disney’s Global Licensing admits his team always asks: “How do we manifest an emotional connection through physical product?”, arriving to the conclusion that “Everyone has Disney memories as part of their childhoods. Our challenge is connecting with people again and again as they grow up.”
With the new wave of live-action remakes of Disney’s beloved classics, the generations of Disney-lovers are being reminded once again of its prevalent position in their lives.
This excitement surrounding the new film releases, can very easily, with the right advertising, be transformed into a profit through the purchase of a $1,250 Gucci Donald Duck sweater.
Do you own any Disney branded clothing items? Let us know what you think of the notion of nostalgia as a persuasive tool for marketing in the comments.