In the classic tradition of cross-promotion, THE LION KING!

[Jake Lipson]

I just went on over to Disney's website for The Wonderful World of Disney, and it turns out that in the classic tradition of typical Hollywood cross-promotion, ABC will air THE LION KING as a part of the "World" block on Saturday, February 7th, 2004. That's three days before THE LION KING 1 1/2 explodes into video stores accross the country. They did this successfully with Beauty and the Beast to promote The Enchanted Christmas in 2002, and have had plenty of success using Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Sleeping Beauty and Lilo & Stitch to promote things like Finding Nemo on DVD, The Incredibles, Brother Bear and Lilo & Stitch The Series.

Point being - if you can stand to watch the film in pan & scan again now that the movie is out in a wonderfully vibrant widescreen DVD, you might want to tune into ABC on February 7 for The Lion King, because we're sure to see some new, if brief, clips from TLK1.5.

[Prince Phillip]

While it's completely up to you, I don't think it is really worth sitting through the Pan and Scan version, which is sure to be chock full of annoying commercials through out...

The Lion King 1.5 is cute, but definately worth waiting for... There's a week and a half left, I really think it's best to just wait for the DVD and see the whole movie the way it's suppose to be seen.

[2099net]

I just went on over to Disney's website for The Wonderful World of Disney, and it turns out that in the classic tradition of typical Hollywood cross-promotion, ABC will air THE LION KING as a part of the "World" block on Saturday, February 7th, 2004. That's three days before THE LION KING 1 1/2 explodes into video stores accross the country.

Looks like Jake's got his future career sorted. Marketing!

[Jack]

For reasons already brought out, I refuse to watch movies of any sort on T.V. anymore. Unless they were filmed in 1.33:1, they aren't shown in their proper ratio, and commercials are shown so frequently, it seems to take about 4 hours to finish watching a 2 hour movie.

[Paka]

That's three days before THE LION KING 1 1/2 explodes into video stores accross the country.

Looks like Jake's got his future career sorted. Marketing!

Ah, Jake always writes like that. Like some kind of '20s reporter/PR agent hybrid. If it's not annoying, it's scary.

[Jake Lipson]

Looks like Jake's got his future career sorted. Marketing!

Ah, Jake always writes like that. Like some kind of '20s reporter/PR agent hybrid. If it's not annoying, it's scary.

LOL.

Well, it really is going to explode, or, Disney's marketing campign will help it try. Remember back in 1995 when the original Lion King came to video? Copies of the tape were everywhere, it was almost like nothing else was on sale....

Anyway, yeah, I dunno, it's strange, I do sound like a Disney marketing exec. Comes naturally. (Then again I'm the one who wore Hercules pajamas for Halloween 1998 and called myself a "Hercules pajama model." And I tore a Lion King DVD ad out of an offers booklet and pinned it to my shirt every morning to wear to school so I could help with their marketing.) I'm nuts!

[PatrickvD]

I wonder if they're going to air the 'restored' imaxversion...

[Disneykid]

They are. The ads call it the Special Edition.

It seems the Wonderful World of Disney has become one big ad campaign. For every movie they air, they link it to something else that's either coming to theaters or to home video. For example, ABC aired The Parent Trap tonight (the remake), and during virtually every commercial break hyped up Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen starring The Parent Trap's Lindsey Lohan. Next week, as Jake said, is The Lion King, and we all know what that's promoting. The week after, The Princess Diaries will make its cable debut. Who wants to bet Disney will premiere the trailer for the sequel (which has no trailer as of yet) that night along with some interviews.

[Disney Guru]

Lion King Celebration

I can't wait for Lion King 1 1/2 to come out on Disney DVD.

[Kram Nebuer]

It seems the Wonderful World of Disney has become one big ad campaign.

It always has been. One of Walt DIsney's purposes for his tv show was to promote Disneyland. I just watched a taped Vault Disney special (Which Disney channel has to desperately bring back!!!!) of the Osmond Brothers at Disneyland and it was just screaming "Go to Disneyland!"

[Disneykid]

Well, that's true, but the Wonderful World of Disney I grew up with in the early and mid 90's showed films with no promotional tie-in to them; they were shown simply to please the public.

[Mushu2083]

I think Jake's a marketing exec trapped in a young person's body. I can't wait until next Tuesday! I HATE waiting. I have to make sure I don't spend any money until next Tuesday.