Thanksgiving, Macy’s, and the Shrek marketing machine
Shrek continues his world brand domination as Macy’s Holiday Ambassador and featured new giant balloon at the Macy’s Day Parade.
Shrek joins cartoon characters Mickey Mouse, Underdog, Bullwinkle, and Snoopy in the annual Thanksgiving Day event. But unlike his counterparts, Shrek joins the parade as an artificially created “beloved” character that children (and adults), through rapid-fire promotion, have been forced to embrace.
From the press release:
“Shrek is a new American icon,” says Robin Hall, Executive Producer of Macy’s Parade. . . . “All of us at Macy’s Parade are totally immersed in ‘Project Shrek,’ and we’re thrilled to be working with the team from DreamWorks Animation in the creation of this new Parade classic.”
. . . Shrek’s first ever participation in the Parade will coincide with the DV release this holiday season of “Shrek the Third,” the latest installment from DreamWorks Animation . . . .
DreamWorks Animation’s Head of Worldwide Marketing & Consumer Products Anne Globe stated, “We’re honored to be a part of this great holiday tradition . . . this parade gives [Shrek’s] fans a unique opportunity to see their favorite ogre in a whole new way.”
And seeing Shrek in a “whole new way” is pretty difficult to do, since you could find shrek on just about anything. “Shrek” items at Amazon.com:
Books (1,469)
Toys & Games (539)
Apparel (321)
Home & Garden (287)
Health & Personal Care (98)
Video Games (64)
Jewelry & Watches (51)
Sports & Outdoors (50)
Everything Else (48)
DVD (48)
Baby (46)
Office Products (34)
That’s over 3,000 Shrek-branded products, folks. And I left some out.
The Shrek machine, especially in food brand extensions, has been criticized and made fun of.
Don’t think that I had any hope that the Macy’s Day Parade would feature a non-licensed character. Even Macy’s says:
Our theme each year is “Holiday Entertaiment for Children Everywhere.” Therefore, it is imporant to Macy’s that our corporate partners complement that image, and that the theme of each unit be based in entertainment, insitutionally show casing [sic] a sponsor’s promotional message.
Nice. Emphasis mine.
That’s why, if you watch the parade, you’ll see these sponsors advertising showcasing their promotional message: Nickelodean, Sesame Workshop, Disney, Muppet Holdings, Pokemon, McDonalds, Warner Brothers, Dreamworks, Sanrio, Mattel, and Build-A-Bear Workshop.
This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for every moment my family and I can have that is free from a corporation, a brand, and licensed characters.
November 24th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Am I the only one who’s never understood the whole Shrek concept? The Shrek conceit, if you will. My amazon.com search for Shrek office products wasn’t as lucrative as yours (only 25 items). And doggone if the “Shrek Donkey Latex Mask” by Moon Costumes isn’t currently unavailable for that next big office videoconference.
November 26th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Wow - I seriously had no idea, and I think I have some idea about such things. That video with the Shrek food was amazing.
Does amazon seriously have almost 1500 shrek books — different books? It seems completely impossible. Say it isn’t so, Lisa.
November 26th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Mom: Learn to Draw DreamWorks Shrek; Glow in the Dark Shrek; Shrek Interactive Sound Book; The Complete Guide to Shrek; Classic Holiday Shrek; Shrek, the Novel; Shrek, the Photo Novel; Shrek Mad LIbs and so on and so on and so on. I think this number may include video games with books and things like that, but yeah, 1500.
November 28th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
To add fuel to the Shrek fire, have you heard about the new Christmas campaign that Shrek is embarking on!! As if he wasn’t everywhere to begin with, they increase advertising dollars this time of year to promote Shrek and Donkey at Christmas!
November 29th, 2007 at 8:40 am
Amber, I did see Shrek dressed as Santa somewhere and I thought it was pretty funny. Christmas is a HUGE sales time for retailers. Maybe they’ll make Donkey a reindeer.
December 5th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
[…] I’ll ping Lisa over at Corporate Babysitter to tackle that one, since she’s great at dissecting the details of kids’ marketing phenoms and unearthing stealthy […]
December 13th, 2007 at 10:11 am
Why do people even watch tv on Thanksgiving? I never did get that. Especially a parade–I love parades, but it seems pretty pointless to watch images of a parade that you’re not actually *at*.
December 13th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
You certainly have quite a bit of empathy for those souls in rest homes, step-down units, elderly care unit, VA hospitals, local hospitals, etc., etc., etc., who cannot leave the confines of their establishment and have very little interaction with others during the Thanksgiving holiday. A parade which depicts any form of the symbolism of our freedoms to this holiday via whatever media manner it may be, is to be commended, and viewed. To mandate attendance at a parade in order to justify the parade is senseless! Perhaps the television should not have been invented….that would have discouraged a corporation from being formed!
December 14th, 2007 at 9:57 am
Anne, you give lots of reasons I hadn’t thought of to watch tv on Thanksgiving. Next year, I’ll be sure to appreciate the patriotic symbolism of giant, gas-filled balloon representations of cartoon characters drifting through the concrete jungle. ;-)
December 14th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
Karen….are you ready to give up television entirely in order to protect the world? Would that make you feel better. Have you developed the energy to face life head on and make your own decisions…avoiding what you perceive as wrong, and involving yourself in what you believe is right. That might be an easier path rather than pointing the finger and attempting to place blame on everyone else other than yourself! Why not shoulder some decision making responsibility rather than formulate what you perceive to be inflammatory statements that you think will make a difference.
December 16th, 2007 at 11:43 am
Anne, I recognize that my first comment was flippant and it clearly hit a nerve for you. I apologize if I’ve caused you pain. I also recognize that people who are isolated may decide that television is better than nothing. I’d never want to take away that choice from them and don’t know why you think I would.
I have actually given up television, to protect myself and my family. Do you mean, would I advocate television disappearing from the face of the earth? I wouldn’t waste my time, even if I thought it would be a good idea. Which I don’t. I do wish that people didn’t take the presence of television in every American’s life as a given. I don’t know a lot of people, but I do know a few families besides my own where there is no television. I wish that television were more regulated, particularly advertising on television. I don’t think that’s an unreasonable wish, or one that is likely to come true soon. But I do hope it will come true some day, and I think the results will be good. You obviously have other wishes. I’m interested in them, if you feel like sharing them. How do you wish things would change?
I do avoid that which I perceive as wrong, and involve myself in what I believe is right. Why do you think that I don’t?