“Toy Story 3” is the perfect fusion of products with entertainment on the silver screen. The Disney/Pixar animated blockbuster serves up an array of toy products that are ideal for license merchandising and the plot sets up a sequel–all while being an entertaining movie that is wowing fans and film critics.
The end credits cite three branded placements: Mattel for Barbie and Ken dolls, Slinky dog and Mr. Potato Head from Hasbro Playskool. My son Nick also spotted what seems to be Totoro (Koala bear-like character) in the menagerie from a Japanese animation house whose films Disney distributes.
I assume the rest of the toy characters are generic don’t require any payments by Pixar/Disney to toy companies and here again TS3 shows brilliance. Lotso-Huggin’ bear (a central character in the movie) seems a sly reference to Care Bears (take that Jakks Pacific toys!).
Says a “New York Times” article calls the movie “a tale that captured the romance and pathos of the consumer economy, the sorrows and pleasures that dwell at the heart of our materialist way of life, (and that) could only be told from the standpoint of the commodities themselves.
The glow of “TS3” prompted an investment house to raise its estimates of financial performance of Mattel, whose Barbie line is featured prominently. Investment house Caris & Co. predicts that Mattel’s 2010 sales will increase 12%, which would be robust.
A “Barron’s” article says that investment house Caris & Co. is bullish on Mattel’s licensed merchandise from involving World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Thomas & Friends, “Toy Story 3” (second quarter) and Disney’s “Tangled” (third quarter). “Monster High” toys ship in the second-half of 2010. Key sales drivers in 2011 are “Cars 2,” Warner Brothers’ “Green Lantern” and possibly Universal’s “Monster High” live-action musical movie. Key 2012 drivers will be “Batman 3”, “Ghost Busters” and possibly “He Man Masters of the Universe,” a “Barbie” movie and Tom Hanks’ “Major Matt Mason.” As with “Cars,” the studios are planning follow-on entertainment to support “Toy Story 3” and “Green Lantern” as “evergreens.”
“Toy Story 3” – which reportedly cost $200 mil. to make—is still rolling up $5-6 million in domestic (USA/Canada) box office on individual weekdays—typically a lull time—in its 19th day of release. “TS3’s” total domestic box office stood at $308 million July 6, and it still is rolling up additional tens of millions of dollars in box office a weekly.
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