MATTEL CREATIONS

Disney Darkness
Descends Series Ursula Doll

Beloved villain Ursula made a huge splash in Disney’s 1989 animated hit The Little Mermaid. Mattel Creations wanted to continue the Darkness Descends villains line by offering a DTC exclusive that captured Ursula’s oversized personality in a Disney collector doll that’s one of the largest on the market, scale-wise. Six wires in her tentacles and seven points of articulation gave extra poseability. The five LED lights embedded in the box showed off the doll’s special glow-in-the-dark features, from her transparent neon green trident and crown to the bright pink and green stitching on her bodice, Flotsom and Jetsam tattoo on her upper arm, and fluorescent patterns on her tentacles.

THE CONCEPT
To highlight her scale, poseability, and glow-in-the-dark features, and tie the doll back to the end scene from the animated movie, we built a diorama set, recreating the the iconic shipwreck scene from Disney’s The Little Mermaid where Ursula, during her villainous rampage, steals the crown and trident, creates a whirlpool, and raises shipwrecks from the ocean floor. Resin wave sculptures created the whirlpool waves. Moveable small scale ghost ship models were used to emphasize the doll’s large scale. Smoke made for a moody, stormy atmosphere. When the set went dark, lightening bolts created a neon pop and her fabulous fluorescent details got the full spotlight.

DELIVERABLES
Social Videos: Using the diorama set build, we created a short form stop motion video for social. To showcase the creative process, craft, and details of that went into the doll we interviewed the doll’s designer and created an exclusive short form BTS video for Disney Collectors membership website.
Website: Announce Banners, Launch Banners, and Product Description Page (PDP+)
Emails: Announce, Launch, and Sustain Emails

I created and presented all concept mockups, designed the set and collaborated with Trade Show services on the set builds, created photo and video shot lists, art directed the multi-day photo shoot, stop motion shoot, and BTS shoot, directed retouchers, executed additional retouching, designed digital web and email layouts, and prepared digital assets for licensor approval and final delivery.

Licensor: Disney