Disney Extends "Cars" Brand Franchise With Online Community

Part of Disney's brand magic is the company's ability to turn characters into profit-producing franchises. The Pixar hit movie "Cars," featuring animated talking car characters, is no exception. Though the movie was released in 2006, "Cars" has been a smash hit ever since in terms of merchandise spin-offs. A second movie, "Cars 2," is scheduled for release in the summer of 2011.

This summer, Disney plans to launch an online community, "World of Cars," in an effort to keep the momentum going. "We look at anything we can do online as a way to deepen and extend relationships with the characters," Steve Wadsworth, president of Disney Interactive Media Group, told the Los Angeles Times. "That only helps elevate the mind-share of that property or franchise with our audience."

In the case of the Cars franchise, that audience is boys, and Disney is hoping that they (or their car-loving dads) will shell out monthly subscription payments for "World of Cars." The online game permits players to design their own car, interact with characters from the movie, and go racing.

Despite relying on its popular movie characters, "World of Cars" faces increasing online competition from such large marketers as Lego, Mattel, and Nickelodeon. There are already about 200 virtual worlds that target kids under twelve years of age.

Disney, however, is banking on both its characters and its animation expertise to break through. Lane Merrifield, who manages Disney's virtual worlds, says, "My goal is to make sure that Disney, from a virtual world standpoint, has the same tradition that Pixar does in 3-D computer animation."