While grocery shopping at Kroger, I picked up a box of grapes solely because I was sick of eating the same ones from the marketplace. It wasn't until I got back into my dorm room and was happily snacking on them that I realized for the first time that the label depicted a picture of Goofy and the iconic Disney symbol. What do "California Grown Red Seedless Grapes" have in common with Goofy? Besides the fact that Disneyland is in California, I can think of no other reasonable explanation for the grape company (I'm not sure what brand they are, and I no longer have the box) to have a connection to Disney. Quite a peculiar marketing strategy, if you ask me.
This discovery led me to recall an argument made in one of the very first articles that we read, Janet Wasko's Challenging Disney Myths. In this article, Wasko debunks the common belief that Disney is somehow "different" from other profit-seeking companies. As epitomized by this subtle yet ingenious advertising through items as mundane as produce, Disney has successfully integrated itself into our everyday lives. The more amazing accomplishment, however, is that we don't even seem to notice. Disney's presence in everyday society has become so accepted by the public that we no longer associate Disney-affiliated characters with advertisements, though that is essentially what they are. Throughout the years, Disney has developed into an inextricable icon of American culture, so much so that we are blind to the fact that Disney is just as much of a profit-seeking corporation as other companies. When your characters can be used to market fruit and consumers don't question it, you know you've made it. Kudos, Walt.
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