Disney has done everything RIGHT in 2014

[beaker]

You know, 16 years on this forum, I am so proud of our beloved Muppets. A testament to Disney...but my goodness. The countless Super Bowl/online exclusive Muppet spots(including the 4 part traffic jam skits and beautiful day monster ad), the restrained sneak peaks, the Muppet merch we've been waiting for, the cinematography and writing in MMW that trumps the 2011 film...everything I've seen has been pitch perfect.

I remember chatting with some of you in november 1998 about "the coming rennassiance of the muppets" in 1999...but truly, this is it. I could not be more proud of disney, the performers, and everyone involved. hats off.

 

[LouisTheOtter]

A big YES to that! I was impressed (and 0ften touched and moved) with Disney's Muppet roll-out in the run-up to TM2011, and they've somehow found a way to up the ante with their promotion of MMW.

I mean - seriously - "You're watching the FOX Muppets Most Wanted Super Bowl Pre-Game Show, Brought To You By Muppets Most Wanted, In Theatres March 21st"?
A Super Bowl commercial and TONS of online trailers, teasers and tie-ins?
An ad campaign that makes the movie look like a fun night out while simultaneously satirizing the social media age that accompanies Hollywood movie releases?
A wave of talk show appearances (Good Morning America, Live! With Kelly and Michael, the finale of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon) SEVEN WEEKS before the movie arrives in theatres?

THIS, my friends...THIS is REAL "Muppet Domination!"

This, seriously, is the kind of thing that Jim Henson must have hoped for when he initially launched his negotiations with Disney in 1989. The classic characters are being given the combination of creative control AND financial backing needed to keep them in the public eye and retain their relevance and freshness, rather than hauling them out and dusting them off every couple of years as novelty-act nostalgia.

Well done Disney!!!

 

[minor muppetz]

I'd say the only thing Disney hasn't done right this year (so far) is release the fourth season of The Muppet Show, in addition to other non-movie Muppet productions on DVD. At least half(half-ish?) of the movies have recently aired on ABC Family, when most of the movies have barely aired in the last decade (when they have they tended to be on channels I don't have).

 

[muppetlover123]

Im proud of disney, they had a rough spot with MWOO but they picked it up when they decided to make TM2011 and MMW

 

[minor muppetz]

There is one other thing I wish Disney would do better: get more Muppet merchandise available in stores other than The Disney Stores. Yes, fans can order online, and there is a Disney Store near where I live (but it's in a town I don't drive to often), and the merchandise I'm most excited about (the Muppets Most Wanted soundtrack and Muppet Character Encyclopedia) will most likely be available elsewhere as well.

But there really should be a lot of Muppet merchandise in all stores. Other Disney properties get merchandise readily available at all kids if stores. Muppets should, too.

 

[JonnyBMuppetMan]

I'd say the only thing Disney hasn't done right this year (so far) is release the fourth season of The Muppet Show, in addition to other non-movie Muppet productions on DVD.

There is one other thing I wish Disney would do better: get more Muppet merchandise available in stores other than The Disney Stores.

I agree with your sentiments, Michael. You pretty much nailed the only two cons I have right now. Several months ago, I was particularly frustrated with the lack of Muppet merch where I live. The Hot Topic and BAM! stores, for example, have Funko POP! sections which carry Disney figures, though none of the Muppet ones. And yes, it's really disappointing that Disney hasn't put a majority of the classic Muppet content they own to good use.

Otherwise, I agree with others on this thread. Especially with the recent Toyota/SuperBowl ads, Disney's proven to have a better grip on how to use the Muppets, more so than even five years ago.

 

[Drtooth]

In my experience, those Muppet Funko Pops flew off the shelves. Especially the more obscure characters. Then again, my collection of them is pretty small, and they just keep releasing great characters that I would love to buy but can't.

There is some merchandise on the horizon, and the T-shirts started ramping back up recently. Everything depends on the next movie's success. Though if some dumb music copyright thing is preventing the Muppet Show from getting completed on DVD, that's out of their control.

 

[beaker]

Round up of all the Super Bowl tv skits as well as the online exclusive content. And boy is there a lot of new material. I mean a new Electric Mayhem music video/song? Wowzas.

http://themuppetmindset.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-muppets-super-bowl-round-up.html
http://themuppetmindset.blogspot.com/2014/02/hilarious-new-muppet-toyota-videos.html
http://themuppetmindset.blogspot.com/2014/01/news-update-january-31-2014.html

merchandise wise, I absolutely wish there was a tidal wave of merch, even 1/10th what we saw of Cars. But I've also come to realize that for some reason, Disney remains stingy on what items get released. For a long time we've wondered why there just hasn't been much merch, and I still don't have any answers.

The Muppets absolutely dominated and saturated the Super Bowl, the most watched show event in America. So thank you Disney $$$ muscle. So yeah it is weird that if they have that much confidence to media saturate everywhere with MMW promotion, that they wouldn't have a ton of merch. Usually there is a whole aisle at Toys R Us devoted to the newest Disney tentpole.

Regarding the dvds, I hear ya. I can't explain that one either. Remember folks: Lions Gate in a few shorts years released practically everything they had Muppet/Henson related on dvd.

 

[beaker]

Btw does anyone know if there will be Disney Park tie ins? Not just merch but special theme nights or events?

 

[galagr]

Also, can I point out how well the commercial is doing on YouTube? It already has seven million views, which is more than Radio Shack's, Microsoft's, and the Doritos time machine commercial COMBINED.