UKG’s delve into Disney licensing details picks out most profitable characters
Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, and Spider-Man are all well-known Disney characters and incredibly popular on birthday cards across the world.
After 100 years of the hit factory of dreams the company has grown from founder Walt Disney turning traditional fairytales into movies to creating its own characters and intellectual properties – but which are the most profitable when it comes to the retail sector?
Publisher UK Greetings has numerous Disney characters within its licensing portfolio and has been looking into which are the most popular on its greeting cards.
Top of the pops are the classics of Mickey, Minnie and the gang who have been the mainstay of the whole enterprise after Walt and his brother Roy founded the company in October 1923 – although the mouse’s first appearance in Steamboat Willie wasn’t until 1928.
Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and the other classic characters from Walt Disney’s House Of Mouse have stood the test of time, becoming favourites for all generations.
Whether it’s parents or older generations who remember Fantasia hitting the big screen or the children who love Mickey Mouse’s Clubhouse on television, their enduring popularity makes them a hit for cards for all occasions.
It’s reflected in the value, as the character is synonymous with the company’s branding. This could be seen as having the same overall value, which comes to around £135bn ($171bn).
Elsa from Frozen may be a relatively newbie in the Disney lexicon but she refuses to let it go!
When Frozen was released in cinemas in 2013, the tale of sisters Elsa and Anna netted £1.01bn ($1.28bn) at the global box office and their popularity carried over into the sequel released six years later, bringing in a further £1.14bn ($1.45bn) globally.
Not only does this make it one of the most successful films within the Disney Princess line but it’s also one of the most successful animated films in the history of cinema.
It’s no surprise then that Elsa’s presence on a greeting card is a welcome touch of magic, making every occasion feel more special.
Back in 2012, it cost Disney £3.16bn ($4bn) to acquire the Star Wars franchise from Lucas Arts to inject new life into the company.
The deal gave Disney access to all the films, tv series, and characters within the Star Wars empire, as well as allowing for new stories and merchandise to be created.
Greeting cards are no exception and, with timeless and identifiable characters with memorable quotes, UK Greetings is one of the main greeting card suppliers.
Darth Vader is an obvious choice for a bad guy that fans love to hate, or there’s the wisdom and humour of Yoda, so plenty of options for birthdays, congratulations, and all events worth celebrating.
Another franchise purchase that’s grown exponentially in terms of size and scope is Disney’s acquisition of Marvel in 2009 for around £3.16bn ($4bn).
Marvel Studios was then established to bring comic-book favourites to life on cinema screens, telling individual stories that weave into a larger narrative – in 2019 Avengers Endgame became the second highest-grossing film of all time hitting £2,208,505,50 ($2,799,439,100).
And, from nearly a century’s worth of Marvel characters, none are as popular for greeting cards than Spider-Man who has really swung into action for Disney as the relatable charm of the friendly neighbourhood webslinger spans generations. Whether it’s in a drawn form or actor Tom Holland’s latest version, you’re likely to find him on all manner of special occasion cards.
D’oh! Did you forget The Simpsons is a Disney title too?
The longest-running animated sitcom in television history came under the House Of Mouse’s umbrella in 2019 as a result of its £56.25bn ($71.3bn) purchase of Fox Studios.
From the titular family members to popular side characters and niche one-offs, there are plenty of fan favourites that make for great greeting card designs.
Polls from YouGov have shown the show is still more popular than other adult cartoon sitcoms such as Family Guy and South Park with Homer’s popularity eclipsing everyone by a wide margin, making him the likely character to see on your greeting cards.
Thanks to the many recognisable franchises now owned by the Walt Disney Corporation, there’s plenty of choice – and profit! – when it comes to which characters grace greeting cards.
