Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Hipster Mickey is Swaggy

With something as big as Disney culture, those in charge of marketing merchandise must find a way to reach out to everyone.  There isn't just one level of audience Disney caters to.  There are the nostalgics, the vacationers, the movie lovers, the collectors, not to mention the differences in adults, teens, and kids.  When someone buys something from Disney it's not always for the same reason.  What's "cool" to one person may be really tacky for another.  I'd like to present to you a recent trend of apparel that has been circulating through the Disney stores.  They seem to be catering to teens, or those with adolescent tendencies, and are quick to use current popular vernacular or "hipster" style.

Exhibit A:
 Mickey is described on the site as "Geek-cool." Where I come from, that's an oxymoron but okay.
Exhibit B:

Because if you are a classic icon but wear glasses, you are a NERD.  

Exhibit C:

I have no words.

I would love to know the statistics on the ages of those purchasing this new line of clothing.  I have heard of others being sold in the parks, things along the lines of "Don't make me unfriend you," or "Relationship status: Single" (Gaston) which of course refers to social network popular vocabulary.  This is a great example of how this can be really appealing to someone who is a fan of this style, or in a certain age range,  or can be really kind of weird to someone who doesn't know what "swaggy" means.  But I'd venture to guess this audience also views the throwback Walt Disney World logos also resurfacing on apparel as old or stuffy in their eyes.  It's a great way of looking at the multi-faceted Disney fan culture and how Disney markets tries it's best to market to everyone!

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