New Disney Characters Light Up Holiday Display

Mickey and Minnie, Donald and Daisy and other Walt Disney characters will don their holiday best to help retailers sell children's videos this Christmas season.Burbank, Calif.-based Buena Vista Home Video, a division of Walt Disney Studios, has created a colorful spectacular promoting children's video titles.The Holiday Video Toy Shop merchandiser pairs classic Disney characters with two faces from last year's computer-animated hit "Toy Story." Buzz Lightyear and Woody, rival toys with lives of their own, live on for Holiday 1996 as tree ornaments/photo frames. The free ornaments are attached to every video in the Toy Shop display."The challenge for us here was to maximize the heat of 'Toy Story' while also creating an event piece for our Christmas titles for the year," says Andy Siditsky, executive director of creative services at Buena Vista."We themed it around 'Toy Story' because of the timing," he explains. The movie comes out on video at the same time as the display hits stores -- Oct. 1. Siditsky expects the Woody and Buzz ornaments to be popular collectibles.The display consists of two main pieces: a five-sided column base and a three-dimensional header. The latter features a Mylar skating rink with Mickey, Minnie and a Santa-suited Donald in front of a cozy house. Above the house looms a huge wreath with blinking lights. The twinkling LED lights, which run on batteries, are pre-assembled into the corrugated panels of the display.Five product trays jut out around the base. Each holds four facings for a total stock of 80 pieces. Below, additional characters and carolers tab on to the base. The unit is designed to be used as an endcap or two can be placed together back-to-back."Besides the really beautiful die cutting and printing that we used with the lights to give it a sparkly effect, we also used Mylar to give the ice a reflective look, and in the window there's a fireplace that also [appears] lit and glowing, so it has a very warm, appealing image," says Siditsky. "It's such a beautiful image, it makes a great center-piece at retail."Holiday video displays are nothing new for Buena Vista. But, says Siditsky, with the real lights and the free offer on pack, this display has "really taken us what we feel is a step even further."For Disney, holiday merchandisers traditionally have proven to obtain "great incremental display space," according to Siditsky. Past experiences have shown him that "seasonal displays have driven sales, and sell-through continues to be faster on these displays than from a traditional in-line section of the store.""What we're trying to do is indicate that we are the number-one video supplier, and retailers who prominently display these prepacks have realized an 84 percent increase in sales whether it's Halloween or Christmas," he says.In addition to the free ornament, the holiday promotion also offers a mail-in rebate from soap-maker Lever Brothers. With the purchase of one title from the Video Toy Shop, consumers can get a $3 rebate when they buy Lever soap.The cross-promotion "helps our retailers because we can get joint displays," Siditsky explains. "It also gives us an attractive price point for advertising. But the main reason we do it is to help drive sales on multiple purchases of our products. It's a good deal."All graphic portions are litho-mounted to 50-point chipboard; the merchandising portion of the display is B-flute corrugated and flexo printed. Created by Phoenix West Display and Packaging Corp., Sherman Oaks, Calif., the floorstand measures 37 inches wide, 82 inches high and 26 inches deep.The holiday promotion also includes shelf talkers, posters, static clings and buttons.

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