Marketing issue with Olaf?

[Goofyernmost]

Wasn't there a animator that claimed disney stole the idea for Olaf from their short. Was basically a short based off a snowman who lost his carrot nose... Last I heard the animator was filing a lawsuit... Maybe disney is holding off on using Olaf until this is cleared up. I highly doubt it though. I am more inclined to believe they rushed to ride the Frozen wave and just overlooked some things.

Here's the short:

...and here's the Frozen teaser:



Might be nothing, but I'm reminded of how Disney's new "Big Hero 6" Teaser is basically a beat-for-beat copy of Pixar's teaser for The Incredibles.
There could be something to this, but probably not enough for a lawsuit.

As if snowmen with stick arms and carrot noses haven't existed since forever. That's what they looked like when I was a kid back in the dark ages. I think that the animator might even be questioned as to where he got his idea from. Stupid is as stupid does.

 

[Bairstow]

As if snowmen with stick arms and carrot noses haven't existed since forever. That's what they looked like when I was a kid back in the dark ages. I think that the animator might even be questioned as to where he got his idea from. Stupid is as stupid does.

Read some of the articles. It's not the design of the snowman that's the issue here, but the plots and scene composition of the two animated shorts.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Read some of the articles. It's not the design of the snowman that's the issue here, but the plots and scene composition of the two animated shorts.

Yea, you're right, I didn't read the whole thing. Still nothing that I care about anyway, so I'll just step aside and let the rest of you make that determination.

 

[Tim Lohr]

I don't think it's due to name copyrights....I found a picture on google showing candy apples that has the same "Character Inspired" Sign..

Looking at this I think the "character inspired" label is just a way to not have to change out the sign/price tag everytime they cook a new batch of treats, they could put Donald, Goofy, Olaf, or anybody over the price tag that says "character inspired $9.99"

 

[Communicore]

Looking at this I think the "character inspired" label is just a way to not have to change out the sign/price tag everytime they cook a new batch of treats, they could put Donald, Goofy, Olaf, or anybody over the price tag that says "character inspired $9.99"

Definitely agree. It's the Disney way, a.k.a. "On the cheap."

 

[daveywilks]

Not a made up word like illuminations or soarin

Apologies for being obnoxious but I had to point this out!

 

[RayTheFirefly]

Apologies for being obnoxious but I had to point this out!

Lol, I think the only obnoxious part about it is how HUGE the picture is

 

[StarWarsGirl]

So I just got back from WDW, and I noticed something weird, that made me wonder: is there some sort of copy-writing issue with Olaf right now or something?

Doubtful

 

[JIMINYCR]

As if snowmen with stick arms and carrot noses haven't existed since forever. That's what they looked like when I was a kid back in the dark ages. I think that the animator might even be questioned as to where he got his idea from. Stupid is as stupid does.

As Frosty's representative I'm going to start legal action.....

 

[Goofyernmost]

As Frosty's representative I'm going to start legal action.....

Oh, man! Memories flooding through, feeling melancholy and very old. That was one of my favorite "Golden Books" as a kid. I can practically hear Gene Autry singing it as we speak.

 

[Metilinos]

Looks like it's been kind of covered, but looks like it's just a generic kind of way of changing out characters under a similar ordering SKU or something. They could change the character but not have to charge it under something h different. Easier to do it that way that create a whole new item code and package etc.

 

[dhall]

How hard is it for somebody to type something into Word then print it out?

In very large corporations, the actual work is usually by far the easiest thing.

Getting approval to set up the meeting to form the group that will consider the parameters of the invitations to the event that will pull together the stakeholders that will decide the font of each and every piece of collateral that will define the image of overall "Olaf" message takes a while, and since they really just slapped all this together...

 

[JIMINYCR]

Its a shame, old time classics are rarely heard anymore.

 

[jaklgreen]

I think this issue has been waaaay over-thought. The reason they're labeled "snowman" is because there are actual generic snowman marshmallow, cake pop, and apple treats during the holidays that use that signage. So they already had the labels. That's it. Mystery solved. Why they don't just print out new ones with actual names? Mostly for simplicity. Sometimes different characters will be mixed together on a plate or in a row of apples. Much easier to say "character inspired" than have multiple signs crowding up the display case.

This is what I was thinking. I work in a restaurant/bakery and we have a minimum number of tags we have to order when we need new one. There is no point in making Olaf ones when they already have a snowman one they can use. The kids don't care what the tag says. I would rather they saved the money on tags and make the product cheaper. I am happy to point at something and say "I want that snowman looking one".

 

[Minnie1976]

Recently I was in Spring, TX at a store Below $5(?). Ii don't remember the exact name of the store. They had the Frozen princess and Olaf t-shirts for $4.99 with no mention of Disney on them at all. I was wondering what was up with that. I know at Disney they would have been over $20.

 

[Phil12]

I think they have some trepidation due to the urban dictionary definitions of "Olaf".

 

[Tom]

I think they have some trepidation due to the urban dictionary definitions of "Olaf".

Does it mean "Scratchy-voiced fat guy who thinks everything he says is witty and hilarious"?

 

[Tigger1988]

Recently I was in Spring, TX at a store Below $5(?). Ii don't remember the exact name of the store. They had the Frozen princess and Olaf t-shirts for $4.99 with no mention of Disney on them at all. I was wondering what was up with that. I know at Disney they would have been over $20.

Yup, our Five Below had them as recently as last week. Printed on Hanes shirts, looked like a homemade screen print job. No Disney tags, nothing.