Behind the Scenes: Creating a Very Merry Ad Campaign at Magic Kingdom Park

Have you ever wondered what makes Mickey’s Christmas Party “very merry” and not just normal merry? Well, for the first time ever, the creative team here at Disney’s Yellow Shoes Creative Group found the answer.

The idea behind this year’s holiday campaign revolves all around the name of Mickey’s Christmas Party – which you can see in a new VERY merry logo and over-the-top merry scenes. Since the party is a classic Christmas party at Magic Kingdom Park, the style and tone of the campaign – from the hand-drawn logo to a traditional animated short – was inspired by the classic Disney shorts and vintage holiday greeting cards.

One of the most exciting pieces to work on was an original 30-second animation featuring Mickey and the gang getting ready for the very-est, merriest party of the year. The commercial was traditionally animated in the style of the Disney classic cartoons of the late 1930s and 1940s. The sound design was really fun, too. We love the narrator’s ‘Goofy How-To’ vibe and the character voices throughout. The soundtrack, a jazzy rendition of Jingle Bells, was also inspired by a 1940s big band and recorded by a live orchestra.

The entire campaign was sparked by a fun Christmas story that explains the origins of Mickey’s first Very Merry Christmas Party. The story is a great way to get your kids excited for the Christmas Party. And, even if you’re not going this year, it’s just really fun to ad-lib Donald Duck’s not-so-merry outbursts. You can download the full story by clicking the image below.

You can also expect to see very merry billboards, banner ads, and hear radio spots leading up to the party, which is happening select nights now through December 20. (Tickets are on sale now at mickeyschristmasparty.com.)

And, since no Christmas would be complete without a gift or two, we made some very merry wallpapers just for our Disney Parks Blog readers. Be sure to check out the terms of use about using the wallpapers before you download it.

Have a VERY merry Christmas!

Behind the Scenes: Creating a Very Merry Ad Campaign at Magic Kingdom Park by Will Gay: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog