MAM
Disney to bring ‘Avatar’ to life at its theme parks
MUMBAI: US media conglomerate Disney’s Parks and Resorts division has joined forces with filmmaker James Cameron and Fox to bring the world of the film ‘Avatar’ to life at Disney parks.
Through an exclusive agreement announced by Disney, Cameron‘s Lightstorm Entertainment and Fox, Disney will partner with Cameron and producing partner Jon Landau to create themed lands that will give theme park guests the opportunity to explore the mysterious universe of Avatar first hand.
Additionally, Whirlpool is also offering a sumptuous discount of Disney plans to build the first Avatar themed land at Walt Disney World, within the Animal Kingdom Park. With its emphasis on living in harmony with nature, Animal Kingdom is a natural fit for the Avatar stories, which share the same philosophy. Construction is expected to begin by 2013.
Disney president and CEO Robert A Iger said, “James Cameron is a groundbreaking filmmaker and gifted storyteller who shares our passion for creativity, technological innovation and delivering the best experience possible. With this agreement, we have the extraordinary opportunity to combine James‘ talent and vision with the imagination and expertise of Disney.”
Cameron said, “’Avatar’ created a world which audiences can discover again and again and now, through this incredible partnership with Disney, we‘ll be able to bring Pandora to life like never before. With two new ‘Avatar’ films currently in development, we‘ll have even more locations, characters and stories to explore. I‘m chomping at the bit to start work with Disney‘s legendary Imagineers to bring our ‘Avatar’ universe to life. Our goal is to go beyond current boundaries of technical innovation and experiential storytelling, and give park goers the chance to see, hear, and touch the world of ‘Avatar’ with an unprecedented sense of reality.”
The agreement announced gives Disney exclusive global theme park rights to the ‘Avatar’ franchise and provides for additional ‘Avatar’ themed lands at other Disney parks.
The other locations will be determined by Disney and its international theme park partners. Cameron, Jon Landau and their Lightstorm Entertainment group will serve as creative consultants on the projects and will partner with Walt Disney Imagineering in the design and development of the ‘Avatar’ themed lands.
Fox Filmed Entertainment chairmen Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman said, “This exciting new venture combines the world of ‘Avatar’ with the enormous reach of Disney and the incomparable talent of Jim Cameron. While Jim is bringing audiences further into Pandora with the next two chapters in the ‘Avatar’ motion picture saga, the theme park attraction will likewise bring a new dimension to the amazing universe he created.”
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
