Pride season is nearly upon us, and as the LGBTQ community gets ready to celebrate, they are prepared to be wary of all that corporate America will inevitably throw their way as a means of monetizing the event. While there is undoubtedly a lot of promotional marketing and advertising in that category, many may be happy to hear that Disney, a brand often associated with traditional, even regressive values, has decided to support the cause by releasing a pair of rainbow Mickey ears.
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While some might see this as an obvious example of grift, others may deem it a step forward for the entertainment behemoth. The ears, called “Mickey Mouse Rainbow Love, will retail for $18 a piece at Disneyland and Disney World. Fans will also be able to buy a matching rainbow patch featuring heart-shaped Mickey Mouse hands.
Whatever your opinion may be on corporate support/appropriation of minority groups and their celebrations, it can’t be denied that any effort to acknowledge and celebrate the LGBTQ community has the potential to make a positive impact. If Disney follows up on its rainbow Mickey ears with better LGBTQ representation in its films and other properties, it will show that the rainbow ears mean something more than profit. If this turns out to be the limit of Disney’s support, then it was probably just about the money.
It just goes to show that promotional products have the power to start conversations, promote pride within groups (and without), and to make mainstream and accepted what has formerly been ignored or degraded. Marketing is a powerful tool. Used wisely, it can have a profound impact on society. Used unwisely, it can lead a company to become a laughingstock.
Don’t believe us? Well, do you remember this? We’ve got one word for you: yikes.
