No matter their nature, we love addressing how businesses bank on micro-moments, which are especially profitable within the sports realm. Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios, who figure to count astronomical box office figures when “Toy Story 4” hits theaters June 21, are upping their nod to athletics through the script’s inclusion of a bobblehead whose pose pays tribute to an amazing feat by a baseball great.
Over his illustrious 25-year career in the bigs, Rickey Henderson stole 1,406 bases for nine teams. His 939th steal, achieved on May 1, 1991, gave him the Major League record and led the then-reigning American League Most Valuable Player to lift his arms in triumph, with the confiscated base in his left hand. Minus that item, the bobblehead, which appeared in a “Toy Story 4” publicity still last week, serves as a pretty cool micro-moment nod to the expert thief. And it makes its way into the movie thanks to producer Jonas Rivera, a huge fan of the Oakland Athletics, Henderson’s employer at the time of the historic display of baserunning.
Wondering if there are any Oakland A’s Easter eggs in Toy Story 4? The stills released today tell you all you need to know: pic.twitter.com/0e93sTF0MN
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) May 2, 2019
Since the plot has pull-string cowboy Woody and his pals heading out on a road trip, one would expect that the action would call for a character who is swift afoot, making Henderson a perfect choice. How he will ultimately factor into the storyline will remain a mystery for another few weeks, but we are going to presume that the powers that be will hit a home run with their depiction of the Hall of Fame inductee.
In terms of what this decision means for all bobbleheads, it is no secret that the commemoratives gain additional clout each day, with fans inside and outside of the sports world eager to acknowledge pop culture icons, fictional characters and even members of the political sphere. Could this decision to include one in the lucrative “Toy Story” franchise come to compel people to take even more interest in the promotional products? Could it make creators more inclined to see the possibilities of fashioning micro-moment bobbleheads?
Regarding the Henderson depiction and other wobbling representations, it does seem as if we could go to infinity and beyond with ways to further their promotional pull. Along with being curious to see how many zillions of dollars “Toy Story 4” fetches, we are also looking to see what the returns will be for the Henderson homage. Will another bobblehead join these predecessors in stealing end-users’ hearts, or will any plan to enhance his standing not even make it to the batter’s box?
