Press.disney.co.uk
Christmas advert from Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing division celebrating Disney’s 40-year partnership with Make-A-Wish®
• Touching animated tale tells the story of a grandmother and her granddaughter, and celebrates the festive family traditions and shared experiences that connect generations
• Vintage-inspired Mickey Mouse soft toy featured in the advert is available from The Disney Store and ShopDisney.co.uk, with proceeds going to support Make-A-Wish® *
• UK-based singer Griff to release original ‘Love Is A Compass’ track from the ad as a charity single in support of Make-A-Wish® **
• Families encouraged to share their own festive memories via Instagram, Facebook or Twitter using #LoveFromDisney, with Disney contributing a donation to Make-A-Wish® for each post shared ***
• Viewers can spot Disney-inspired ‘Easter Eggs’ that appear throughout the advert
London, November 2020 – Disney today announced the launch of its new Christmas advert, a three-minute animated short telling a touching story of a grandmother, her granddaughter and the family traditions that connect them through the years.
As part of Disney’s festive retail campaign, ‘From Our Family To Yours’, the advert marks the 40-year partnership with children’s charity, Make-A-Wish®, and will premiere at 00:01hrs GMT on Monday 9 November across TV and Digital plus Disney’s own channels in 26 countries in EMEA, as well as Australia, New Zealand, North America and parts of Asia.
The heart-warming storyline is inspired by the themes of traditions, family togetherness and nostalgia, and introduces two new characters – a grandmother, Lola, and her granddaughter - alongside familiar friend Mickey Mouse who features as a much-loved toy, gifted to Lola as a young child by her father in 1940. With each passing year, Mickey comes to symbolize Lola’s childhood and a present day connection to her granddaughter, ultimately inspiring a festive surprise on Christmas morning.
Disney fans will be able to purchase the limited-edition vintage Mickey Mouse soft toy featured in the ad from The Disney Store and ShopDisney.co.uk, benefiting Make-A-Wish organisations.
The story is accompanied by the emotive vocals of UK artist and Ivor Novello Rising Star nominee, Griff (19), who performs ‘Love Is A Compass’, written by songwriting/production team, PARKWILD. The charity track will also be available for sale and download from 9 November. For every download before 31 December 2020, 100% of the proceeds from the retail price will be donated to Make-A-Wish®. (Terms and conditions apply).
To celebrate the theme of festive family traditions, Disney is encouraging fans to head to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to share their own past and present festive memories using #LoveFromDisney. For each special memory shared, Disney will donate $1USD to Make-A-Wish® (up to $100,000 USD). (Terms and conditions apply).
Tasia Filippatos, SVP Disney EMEA said: “Christmas is a time for giving and giving back, and we’re delighted to debut this festive ad campaign supporting our long-term charity partner Make-A-Wish®. Our goal was to tell a universal story that inspires through the themes of family, love and special holiday traditions. We hope that Disney fans enjoy the short.”
UK artist Griff, who performs ‘Love Is A Compass’ said: “I was excited to get involved in Disney’s Christmas campaign, in support of Make-A-Wish®. The lyrics of the track and the storytelling in the advert are powerful, and important. The theme of family and loved ones are so front of mind for many of us – especially this Christmas.”
Luciano Manzo, President and CEO at Make-A-Wish® International said: “Our 40-year partnership with Disney has already helped grant so many wishes for children across the world and we’re really excited to be part of this Christmas campaign. The festive season is such a meaningful time for so many families to celebrate special memories, and it’s wonderful to have the opportunity to grant even more life-changing wishes with Disney’s support. We hope audiences love the animated short and get involved.”
The advert was developed and produced by Disney EMEA’s in-house creative team, led by Angela Affinita, Director of Brand Marketing and Creative, in partnership with Flux Animation Studios. ‘From Our Family To Yours’ premieres on 9 November, with the single, limited-edition vintage Mickey Mouse soft toy, and social media campaign launching simulataneously.
As Christmas is a time for giving and gifting, a range of exciting products will be available for the whole family to enjoy such as Star Wars’s The Child Animatronic edition and Frozen’s Elsa & Nokk Swim and Walk. A product look book can be viewed here: https://www.disneychristmaslookbook.com/uk/index.html
Additional Information about the Advert
With storytelling at its heart, the campaign features two lovable new characters, Lola and her granddaughter, alongside Mickey Mouse, who features as a much-loved toy gifted to Lola as a child. Titled ‘From Our Family To Yours’, the ad was created by Disney’s Consumer Products, Games & Publishing business, based on insights around the role that Disney plays at Christmas for families. The story reflects the themes of traditions, bringing families together and nostalgia that families across EMEA identified as being important to them over the Christmas period. It was produced by Flux Animation Studios in New Zealand.
About Make-A-Wish® and Disney’s 40-year partnership
The Walt Disney Company has partnered with Make-A-Wish® for 40 years, supporting the charity’s mission to grant life-changing wishes. Disney has a global commitment to deliver comfort and inspiration to families with children facing serious illness, and they work together with others to inspire and create Moments that Matter for children and those closest to them, who need it most. The new Disney Christmas campaign aims to raise vital funds for Make-A-Wish®, through the proceeds of the charity single performed by Griff, a percentage of sales of The Disney Store’s vintage edition Mickey soft toy and donations on behalf of fans for sharing their own festive moments and memories on social media. Disney is celebrating the connections and traditions that bond families through the years across all countries and cultures by celebrating magical festive memories at #LoveFromDisney on social media. For every photograph that fans upload their own festive family memory, past or present, on their Instagram, Facebook or Twitter using #LoveFromDisney, Disney will donate $1USD to Make-A-Wish ®, up to $100,000 USD.
About Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing
Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing (CPGP) brings the magic of The Walt Disney Company’s brands and franchises—including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more—into the daily lives of families and fans around the world through products and experiences across more than 100 retail categories from toys and t-shirts to apps, books, video games, and more. A division of the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products segment, CPGP’s global operations include: the world’s largest licensing business, one of the biggest children’s publishing brands, a leading licensor of interactive games across platforms, Disney store locations globally, and the shopDisney e-commerce platform.
Disney’s Social Purpose
As well as being a responsible business, Disney is dedicated to providing comfort and inspiration to those in need and creating inspiration and opportunity for those who want to improve their world. Disney’s long-standing partnership with Make-A-Wish ® is an example of how, through working with others, we help build emotional resilience. Together we bring the power of our brand, stories and characters to inspire and create Moments that Matter for children and those closest to them when they need it the most. In 2019, we created over 26,000 life-changing moments across Europe. For more information on our programmes and our long-standing charitable partners please visit www.thewaltdisneycompany.eu
About Make-A-Wish International
Make-A-Wish® creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. We seek to bring every eligible child's wish to life because every child deserves a childhood. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight their illness. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the wish that inspired the founding of the organization in 1980. Since then, Make-A-Wish has become the world’s leading children’s wish-granting organization, serving children in nearly 50 countries worldwide. Together, generous donors, supporters, staff and more than 43,000 volunteers unite to deliver hope to wish kids and their families when they need it most. In total, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 500,000 wishes; more than 33,000 wishes in 2019 alone. For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit wish.org and for more information about Make-A-Wish International, visit worldwish.org.
About Griff
Griff looks well on her way to becoming the next face of British Pop - and a next-generation type of pop star, at that. Born to Chinese and Jamaican parents just out of Watford, she began making music by borrowing her brother’s Logic: teaching herself how to produce songs in secret from her classmates (many of whom only found out what Griff was up to when they heard her on Annie Mac). Indeed, Griff's is the type of curiosity and creativity that draws no boundaries between making beats, sewing your own clothes, or shooting a music video on your iPhone under lockdown. And whilst it's easy to forget, Griff's rawly vulnerable lyrics are a vivid reminder of how young she still is. Here are acutely observed tracks on friendship (‘1,000,000 X Better’), mental health ('Say It Again'), those stinging formative breakups ('Forgive Myself') and the importance of family (see viral ballad 'Good Stuff', and its moving account of Griff’s family fostering kids). In Griff's hands, all these experiences are turned into something uniformly positive, and make her particular model of bedroom pop feel fitting for a legion of young girls to follow.