Disney+

Disney+ Case Study Montage

Context

Partner with teams at Disney to create a powerful, unified strategy and identity for Disney+, both at launch and as the brand continued to expand globally.

Strategy

Deepen what Disney+ means worldwide to grow from a hub for nostalgic classics and tentpole events into a go-to platform with endless possibilities every day.

Solution

Invite audiences to feel something with every story, keeping them connected to their favorite characters and brands through an ever-expanding universe of entertainment.

Introducing Disney+

How can good design help connect five beloved entertainment brands?

In the months leading up to the launch of Disney+, we worked closely with Disney’s marketing teams to develop a fluid design system that answered this question. Our goal: To help launch a unique streaming destination that brings a multitude of characters and franchises into one cohesive whole. Our design strategy evoked feelings of nostalgia while reaching toward the future with a modern and cinematic identity that appeals to audiences of all kinds — from Disney Channel culturati to Marvel superfans.

Launch Design System

A flexible identity emphasized the emotion, legacy, and human stories audiences can find on Disney+.

As we began building the Disney+ design system, we developed a dynamic visual motif that translates the warm, hand-drawn curves of the original Disney wordmark into an elastic system of organic shapes—calling to mind the craft, artistry, and innovative animation techniques central to Disney’s legacy.

We then pressure-tested this system across brand executions, from high-brand to low-brand, multi-title to single-title marketing, maintaining consistency across materials and platforms. A comprehensive style guide and animation toolkits empowered all of Disney’s international internal teams and agency partners.

Global Evolution

Going beyond nostalgia to grow globally.

With its highly-anticipated launch in 2019, Disney+ gave fans unprecedented access to the stories, characters, and franchises from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. As Disney+ expanded into new markets, its portfolio expanded with fresh originals and acquired content beyond the Disney family of brands.

Disney+ saw an opportunity to grow its subscriber base by shifting its perception from a streaming brand for special occasions into a reliable source of daily entertainment. This begged a question: How do we expand what Disney+ means globally while opening the aperture for acquired content—all without deviating from the magic Disney has delivered for nearly a century?

Evolved Brand Strategy

Inviting audiences to feel something with every story.

Disney became one of the most enduring brands in the world by fulfilling a simple yet profound promise: “Create happiness.” Disney+ took this promise further by forefronting, exploring, and activating the entire spectrum of shared human emotions made possible through storytelling.

By inviting our audience to “feel something with every story on Disney+,” the brand promise leverages Disney’s long-established values of imagination, community, trust, and transformation to activate a broader range of entertainment. It brings audiences closer to the worlds built, the characters championed, the stories shared, and to each other.

Design + Voice

An intuitive framework for activating emotions.

By foregrounding feelings, we created a massive playground to manifest the Disney+ brand personality. Design elements inspired by the graphic plus in the logo showcase emotive moments from the shows and films, and the entire visual system forefronts the spirit of the featured content and can be applied across the entire Disney+ entertainment ecosystem.

In addition to visual systems, we established clear brand personality and voice tenets that enabled teams to make emotional connections with audiences while promoting owned and acquired content alike. The resulting voice guide empowered current and future copywriters, both internal and external, in writing for all Disney+ consumer touchpoints.

Disney+ Day

Unveiling the new brand identity for the first-ever Disney+ Day.

To commemorate its global launch anniversary on November 12, Disney+ Day is an annual event for unveiling big announcements for upcoming content and introducing exclusive, limited-time offers that inspire people to subscribe. Laddering up to this newly established positioning, we established a strategy and messaging framework that positions Disney+ Day as a massive celebration around the stories, characters, and content that fans love. We then built a modular language system that activates the strategy across verticals, genres, and IP.

Services

Brand Strategy –– Design Strategy –– Visual Identity –– Copywriting –– Tagline –– Graphic Design –– Experiential Design –– Print Design –– Animation –– Animation Toolkits –– Toolkits –– Motion Guidelines –– Brand Guidelines