For those of you who aren’t blessed with daughters between the ages of 8-12, you might not have noticed the High School Music (HSM) mania that has gripped this specific demographic and their slightly-middle-aged parents. So as not to keep you in the dark, I’ll share some of the musical marketing that Disney has pulled off with this trio of teen films.

First, the tunes are catchy…fun even. All us Moms (and even most of the Dads) hum “Breaking Free” during carpool. These are the kind of songs that get stuck in a never ending playlist in your head. By the end of the first year of HSM they had worked their way into my dreams. So Disney has our kids, and us, hooked.

Second, They connected the dots like you wouldn’t believe. Co-marketing run amok, is what I say. Merchandising, TV, radio, magazines, meals, you name it and HSM stuck its brand on it. Usually this type of over exposure leads to an “I’m over it” reaction. Not this time. The collective “we” can’t get enough of Troy and Gabriella.

Third, speaking of Tory and Gabriella….they are the “Sandy and Danny” of this generation. HSM is to these kids like “Grease” was to my generation. Except that the marketing types are much more sophisticated and there are many more opportunities to expand the franchise today.

Finally, Disney went back to basics and gave people fun, enjoyable entertainment that everyone can relate to. Yes, it’s a bit “polly-anna” but with all the other !@#$% going on in the world a good old-fashioned, don’t-kiss-with-your-mouth-open movie really hits the spot.

Tags: Marketing //