The wonderful consumerist world of Walt Disney: Cinema, childhood, merchandising

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Published: Jul 1, 2009
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/icw.18083
Keywords:
films production classic Disney Walt Disney merchandising
Ευαγγελία Κούρτη (Eyaggelia Kourti)
ΤΕΑΠΗ, Εθνικό Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
Abstract
In this article is presented an under studied aspect of the relationship between children and cinema: the production of children's film in relation to the development of children's consumer behavior. As, in the context of a nostalgic approach to childhood, important aspects of the past are disregarded and an «out of the market» image of children is presented, studied here are the strategies of promotion and merchandising of characters in Disney's classic period (Walt Disney) films. The aim here is to show the role of the company -a reference point for many other companies in the field of children's entertainment- in the development of children's consumer behavior from the early days of the company and thus illuminate the company's attitudes to child audiences and childhood broadly speaking. In this context, in parallel with the films is presented the personality of Walt Disney and his style of management -in relation to the social, economic and political situation- of the company's productions, the workers of his company and, mostly, the promotion of his own myth as the beloved «oncle» of all children around the world.
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