By Kate Torok, Account Manager
Mickey Mouse got a promotion. 80 years after the beloved mouse got his start in Steamboat Willie, Mickey is moving up the corporate cartoon ladder.
Disney recently announced that Mickey will be cast as an action hero for Nintendo’s Wii console. The Magic Kingdom hopes to catapult Mickey into video game stardom alongside other action heroes such as Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog as the company’s video games venture continues fast growth.
When I was a kid, my parents took my three sisters and me to Disney a handful of times. Looking back, I have great memories of Mickey as the cuddly, ventriloquist-like mouse who we bombarded the second we stepped foot in the Magic Kingdom for pictures and hugs. I never really knew if he and Minnie were just dating, or if they were married in the world of make believe, but I remember thinking they were a cute couple. Never did I think that Mickey would turn into an action-fighting-video-game-hero. Will the two buttons on his shorts shoot magic Mickey beams that will save the world from aliens?
The game featuring the new Epic Mickey is slated to launch next year, and only time – and sales – will tell what this rebranding move will mean to Disney. But it should be a good case study on branding, showcasing the empire that is Disney, taking a chance on one of its most adored characters.
Maybe Goofy will be next, flying through the galaxy using only his ears, blocking asteroids with his tongue. Maybe?
