Disney, Marvel, Pixar to collaborate to highlight K-pop, Korean heritage
Kim Hyun-jin, head of Consumer Products at Walt Disney Company Korea, speaks during the Disney Korea Franchise Showcase 2027 in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea
Korean contents to help globalize Disney's IPs
The Walt Disney Company’s long-standing legacy in animation, entertainment and consumer products is entering a new chapter in Korea, where the company sees the country’s global content power as a new source of inspiration for next-generation consumer experiences.
Walt Disney Company Korea on Wednesday unveiled its new campaign, “ICONS UNLEASED: Global Icon Becomes Center of New K-Wave.” It builds on K-pop, Korean heritage and original Korean content, with plans to develop new businesses from each area.
Disney Korea will collaborate with K-pop management companies like Kakao Entertainment, SM Entertainment, HYBE and Starship Entertainment to combine their artists’ unique worldviews with stories from Marvel to create new fan experiences. The company cited the successfull collaboration between G-Dragon’s fashion lineup PEACEMINUSONE and Disney’s "Toy Story” franchise in July to introduce new toys, apparel and goods as precedent.
Korean cultural heritage will be combined with Disney intellectual properties (IP) to introduce new region-based tourism products for global tourists visiting Korea.
Hosting offline events involving rising trends in Korea like marathons, K-pop concerts, pop-up stores and food festivals is another mission for the company. Next month, the company will host both Disney Run and Marvel Run, incorporating a special performance by K-pop girl band Illit. Korean contents on Disney+ like “The Remarried Empress,” Teenieping and Kakao Friends will be developed into new consumer experiencess.
Toys and paintings featuring Mickey Mouse are displayed as part of an exhibition on the sidelines of the Disney Korea Franchise Showcase 2027 in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea
“Have you ever seen a Mickey Mouse like this before?” asked Disney Korea’s Head of Consumer Products Kim Hyun-jin during the Disney Korea Franchise Showcase 2027 in Seoul on Wednesday, posing in front of a picture of the cartoon mouse smiling inside a traditional Korean landscape drawing. “The Korean wave has recreated this Disney character in an unprecedented way. This new Mickey, made in Korea, will again explore the world to meet global consumers.”
Kim defined the company’s new campaign as bridging Korea’s creative hub across music, contents, fashion and beauty to Disney’s iconic IPs and storytelling expertise that transcends national borders.
“Our biggest mission is to combine what only Korea can do and what only Disney can do,” Kim said. “For example, we will expand our popular franchises and brands in collaboration with Korea’s current frenzy over running. Why? Because running now represents the energetic Korean lifestyle now being shaped by the country’s young generations. Disney will be there wherever they run.”
Walt Disney Company Korea was established in Seoul in 1992 and has been working with 150 partner firms here in the fields of studio distribution, direct-to-consumer streaming, consumer products, content sales, games, publishing and digital experiences. Under the new initiative, called "Super Serve Partnership," the company will also restructure its ecosystem so those partners will be able to export to broader global markets, supporting them from product planning to marketing, distribution and market expansion.
A Sandtrooper from Walt Disney's "Star Wars" franchise and fashion items and figures inspired by the company's "Avengers" franchise are displayed on the sideline of Disney Korea Franchise Showcase 2027 in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea
“One of the most important strategies for Disney’s global expansion is cross-border strategy, and Korea is one of the company’s most critical global markets because the country has built an optimal environment for cross-border businesses like K-pop, beauty, fashion and food,” Kim said.
“We will keep finding new local partners with a high potential for global markets to accelerate this new Disney universe imbued with Korean culture. We have newly launched the B2C Retail Division to directly communicate with the consumers, as we have so far mostly traded with companies. After ‘Toy Story 5’ opened in theaters here in June, we launched a large-scale pop-up campaign across seven Hyundai retailers nationwide, including department stores and outlets, and opening special spaces for children. It was a massive success and has become a marketing example for our global operation.”
Disney partners across 180 countries have jointly generated $64 billion in retail sales, according to Kim. The California-based company last year earned $6.58 billion at the global box office. The company will be releasing a new installment of the hit “Avengers” franchise, “Avengers: Doomsday,” in December, along with “Frozen 3” and “Star Wars: Starfighter” next year. In 2028, Mickey Mouse celebrates 100th birthday.
“Disney has two unique strengths: One is its storytelling, demonstrated over past 100 years. ... The other is its ‘360-degree ecosystem’ of IP-based consumer products, including music, games and experiences like Disney Cruise Line,” Kim said. “We created a character that became a cultural icon, with influence across generations and borders. That’s the Disney magic that began in 1923.”