Disney's Toy Branding Strategy

When Walt Disney (DIS) releases on June 24, the audience will get a six-minute bonus. Buzz Lightyear, Woody, and other stars of , another film made by Disney's Pixar animation studio, will romp and joke about Ken and Barbie's failed attempts to hitch a ride to Hawaii inside their owner Andy's book bag. It's more than a warm-up act: The short is intended to help keep sales humming for merchandise based on the franchise, which already rivals Disney's Mickey, Minnie, and Winnie the Pooh lines in sales.

While movie studios have long run animated shorts before the main attraction in theaters, marks a bold effort by Disney to capitalize on Americans' habit of accumulating toys, lunchboxes, and other consumer goods tied to movies. "Showing those shorts is a super-smart strategy for Disney," says Albie Hecht, former president of Nickelodeon Film & Television Entertainment and founder of Worldwide Biggies, a digital studio that produces films and TV shows for young adults. "It's a way to extend the characters and the brand without its fans waiting two or three years for a new movie."