A Branding Story from Winnie the Pooh


July 22, 2011

On Saturday I took my kids to Disney’s new Winnie the Pooh movie. That same day I received a handwritten thank-you note from a colleague. At the crossroads of these two events is a take-away as you consider your own brand touchpoints.

Unlike other modern reboots, Pooh and the Hundred Acre Wood gang were not 3-D digitized and set loose in the city making mayhem for a zany human TV actor (looking at you Smurfs — and did I see that there is another Alvin and the Chipmunks movie?). This is worth noting because Disney actually went to great lengths to make this relaunch of the Pooh brand — their second best-selling character after Mickey Mouse — not so modern at all, even bringing in members of the original animation team to consult. In an era of increasing cynicism, Disney is banking on nostalgia and audience’s need for something different by returning Pooh to his watercolor roots.

Speaking of nostalgia, who writes a handwritten note anymore?! It’s so much easier to email, text, or tweet, right? That’s exactly why it’s truly special when you do get a note. For just a few minutes of time and a postage stamp you too can create a remarkable brand touchpoint. And the chances are pretty good that yours will be the only handwritten note that your recipient gets that day. I bet you remember the last one you received.

Sometimes the very way to stand out in our fast-paced new media world is with a smackerel of nostalgia. I try to take a moment on Fridays and write a note to someone. Like hand-drawn animation, it’s an art form we shouldn’t let die. What hand-drawn brand touchpoints are you utilizing to stand out?

P.S. Winnie the Pooh was great. Disney got the recipe just right in respectfully re-engineering this classic story. Subtle updates like Craig Ferguson and Zooey Deschanel offered just the right amont of current context. 5 Hunny Pots from this reviewer. Kids and parents will both have a blast returning to the Hundred Acre Wood.

Photo via Flickr user Kris Morrell.
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is a strategist, speaker, educator, and author of Brand Now: How to Stand Out in a Crowded, Distracted World and Get Scrappy: Smarter Digital Marketing for Businesses Big and Small. He is the Chief Brand Strategist at Brand Driven Digital, an educator at the University of Iowa, and host of the On Brand podcast. More about Nick.