Disney+

The most famous mouse you’ve never really met

Everyone knows Mickey Mouse. That’s the thing. He’s so familiar, so deeply embedded in our childhoods and our culture, that we almost stop seeing him. He’s on t-shirts and lunchboxes and theme park signs. He’s everywhere. But when was the last time anyone really thought about where he came from? What he meant when he first appeared? Why he still matters nearly a century later?

That was the challenge. Mickey’s story isn’t unknown. It’s just invisible. Taken for granted. We wanted to change that. To make people see him again, not as a logo or a mascot, but as a character with a history worth knowing.

I led the marketing and communications for Mickey: The Story of a Mouse, a documentary that traced Mickey’s origins and cultural impact. The goal wasn’t nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. It was about reconnecting people with something they thought they already knew. We shaped a narrative that honored his legacy while making it feel relevant. We partnered with key media outlets for impactful placements. We built social activations that invited people to share their own Mickey memories. Every piece of the campaign was designed to spark curiosity and emotion in equal measure.

Over 5 million viewers in the first week. A 20% lift in Disney+ subscriptions during the launch month. And the film won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at Film Fest Tucson. But the real win was simpler than that. We got people to look at Mickey and actually see him again.