Rarely do brand extensions get my attention like Disney’s new product – eggs. An egg with a colored Disney character stamp. Is this a logical line extension? It takes me back to what Disney is about – family entertainment. How do eggs fit in?
Certainly, if parents are having a hard time getting their kids to eat breakfast and the Disney graphic makes scrambled eggs more appealing, this sort of fits within Disney’s mission. I guess if the eggs could talk – that would certainly make breakfast more entertaining. But as best as I can tell, they don’t. Disney is counting on kids demanding their eggs be Disney eggs or they won’t eat them. And maybe this will work. If so, it could be a new revenue source for Disney. But, does this weaken the brand? What’s next – Disney flour? Disney steak? Disney broccoli?
I think this is a dangerous slope. We all see what happened to Gucci when they started putting their brand on toilet paper and dog bones. Is Disney headed down the same path? What does this mean for your personal brand? How far can you extend it before it loses its value (think Donald Trump and fashion)?
What do you think?
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Great questions! What I’m wondering is did the “Disney Egg” launch in anticipation of spring and Easter events or has it been around? I don’t buy designer eggs – so I’m curious what Disney’s strategy is.
I think a brand can extend their brand to things that make sense and mirror their uniqueness like the Disney cruises. Other than Easter egg hunts, I’m not sure I know what makes eggs “fun” or a “vacation”?
I watched the first TV commercial for Disney eggs and thought it was strange. The second viewing stopped me dead in my tracks and shifted my mindset to “what were they thinking?!” Don’t you agree that a reaction like this indicates that it is not a good idea and will probably joins the ranks of other famous duds? Disney had a reputation of not making these kind of mistakes so what am I missing here? Someone please show me how this fits.Is this a brainstorming session gone awry all the way to the consumer display case? I’m all for being inventive and respect those with disruptive ideas, but this is ridiculous. Well, it is the incredible, edible egg! Sure is!!
Interesting questions indeed, and we have written an article about it as well. It is not only a bad line extension for Disney, but the way it is marketed also does not make sense: anti-branding. All together it is a good example of bad brand management of a commodity. See for more at Unbound Edition:
http://www.unboundedition.com/pdp_thinking/2009/mar/20/m-i-c-i-see-you-think-were-idiots/