Disney’s Liz Shortreed on putting authenticity at the heart of its Disney Princess collection with Bath & Body Works

Liz, it’s great to connect. Bath & Body Works recently debuted a Disney Princess Collection – what made them an attractive collaborator for this kind of brand extension?
We are always looking for new ways to bring our characters and storytelling to life. One way we do this is by collaborating with innovative brands like Bath & Body Works.

Disney has inspired and developed deep connections with fans of all ages for generations, and Bath & Body Works has done the same through its fragrances. The brand delights consumers with fragrances that seamlessly weave into their every day lives – from picking out their favourite go-to fragrance, to choosing wallflowers for their homes.

And what is the key to successful creative collaborations between a brand owner like Disney and a licensee like Bath & Body Works?
Specifically with Disney Princess, we aim to create products that enchant fans and consumers and allow them to unlock their inner princess in their everyday moments – which Bath & Body Works’ breadth of product offerings are able to do in unique and personalised ways from home fragrance to personal care.

Like Disney, Bath & Body Works is also a pioneer of creativity and innovation, and a perfect way to engage both Disney and Bath & Body Work fans is by bringing to life Disney Princess characters’ unique personality traits through fragrances.

Yes, on that, the range has done a great job in feeling authentic to each character, with the scents connecting back to core character traits. For example, the Ariel collection incorporates notes of sea salt breeze, golden citrus and coral waters. What is the key to capturing the essence of characters in a more ‘abstract’ area like cosmetics and fragrances?
The key is maintaining authenticity – staying true to the storylines and what the characters represent, which can only really be achieved through great collaboration.

This collection taps into and brings to life these stories in a very tangible way allowing us to expand the worlds beyond the movies. Each fragrance was carefully crafted to embody what each Disney Princess character represents and their unique personalities. This collaboration allows fans to explore each character’s story and embrace what most resonates with them.

How else have you tapped into the consumables space with Disney Princess? Are there any other launches in this category you feel hit the mark particularly well?
We have had a great content slate to develop product against with our recent Disney Studio releases, such as Moana 2 and the live action Snow White.

With Moana 2, it was natural to lean into the consumable space when so many of the tropical story elements demand to be experienced beyond the screen – with products such as the TruMoo Moana Strawberry Banana Milk, 100 Coconuts Moana 2 coconut water and the Better Sour Moana 2 Passion Fruit Sour Gummy Stars.

For Disney’s Snow White, we recently announced the essie x Disney’s Snow White collection, which offers consumers a beautiful palette of nail polishes that celebrate iconic elements of the story. Essie pulled inspiration from the blue and gold in Snow White’s dress, the red and green of the apple and surrounding forest, the purple of the Evil Queen’s gown and more.

The collection allows fans and consumers to express and showcase their love for this classic story and movie in a way that is not only customisable but also authentic to them.

Away from Disney Princess, do any other recent launches come to mind as being good examples of how creative your licensees can be with your brands and characters?
A recent launch that comes to mind immediately is our Mickey & Friends collaboration with lululemon. Both Disney and lululemon have very loyal fan-bases, and what better way to appeal to both than create products that authentically blend the unique characteristics of each brand? For example, showcasing the lululemon logo in the classic Mickey Mouse typeface was a creative way to blend the two brands and appeal to consumers.

One product from the collaboration we’ve seen great success with is the belt bag. The lululemon belt bag has certainly had its moment the past few years, growing in popularity in both casual wear and athleisure. We were able to tap into this success by positioning our classic IP front in centre.

Terrific. Liz, a huge thanks again.