Disney today launched Disney LOL (available on iOS and Android), a new app where families, including kids, can access Disney’s short-form social content in a singular, family-friendly, high-quality mobile app experience. With Disney LOL, Disney fans of all ages can join the fun and view GIFs, Vines, short-form videos (up to two minutes) and browse through a variety of non-episodic content from Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Interactive Media , Star Wars, and Marvel. The app is free to download and available for iOS and Android in the United States and Canada.
The Disney LOL app builds on the success Disney is experiencing with content created for various social media and micro content platforms. Disney currently has 1.15 billion followers across these platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, YouTube, Snapchat and Vine), driving 325 million views per month.
“Our audience engages when we interpret classic Disney stories in new ways, with bite-sized, shareable pieces of content relatable to all ages,” Michael Hundgen, Director of Content Strategy and Editorial, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media said. “By bringing Disney’s social content into the Disney LOL app experience, we’re making it possible for all audiences to access this engaging content. We’re creating content for digitally-native families every day, and these new experiences offer Disney stories and characters in formats that are familiar to our audience and on the devices they use most.”
In addition to the Disney LOL app, families, including kids, can also enjoy Disney interactive content and short-form video on the new Disney LOL portal (lol.disney.com) and Mickey Video app.
- On the web, the Disney LOL portal (lol.disney.com) is a uniquely Disney digital experience that features interactive Disney videos, games, memes, GIFs, micro-interactives, jokes, trivia, polls, and more.
- The Mickey Video app features popular short-form (up to five minutes) Disney videos for kids and families. Content includes season three of Mickey Shorts (20 videos); Classic Mickey and Friends Cartoons plus curated collections and character pages, including Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto; additional short-form content from Disney-Pixar and more. Users can browse by character or collection, or dive right into the newest Mickey Shorts Season Three videos. The app is available on the iPhone, iPad and on Apple TV.
- The Apple TV Mickey Video app delivers short-form Disney video content directly into living rooms. The five-minute duration of the videos makes for a perfect ‘living room’ experience, which offers less swiping and more of a ‘laid-back’ moment that audiences seek from the big screen.
With all three Disney experiences, safety is the top priority. The apps and website only serve age-appropriate content and provide a safe experience for users of all ages.
New Advertising Opportunity
Disney LOL, Mickey Video, and lol.disney.com are all free to download and access, but are (or will soon be) supported with advertising. Ads are produced by Disney content creators on behalf of advertisers and are clearly marked as ads, but formatted to integrate with the content.
- Disney LOL app offers 6 to 15-second ads in video or GIF format.
- Disney LOL portal (lol.disney.com) offers branded or sponsored interactive content including games and activities.
- The Mickey Video app will soon support advertising with pre-roll ads.
These new digital products make it possible for advertisers to align with the Disney brand and easily reach all ages in a safe way. Current advertising partners for the Disney LOL app include Hasbro and The LEGO Group.
Disney LOL is available in the App Store and on Google Play.