Vol. 78: Donald Duck’s spicy birthday 🌶️

When legacy characters hit major milestones, brands often lean into the opportunity to celebrate. 

Mattel had a blowout 60th birthday for Barbie. Disney turned the 90th anniversary of Mickey and Minnie Mouse into a massive marketing moment. And Disney recently had another character milestone to celebrate—Donald Duck’s 90th birthday. 

This week, Case Studied explores how Disney’s Donald Duck became one of the highest viewed celebrity episodes of Hot Ones. 

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The Brief:

Donald Duck has been part of the Disney universe since 1934. Over the decades, he’s starred in classic cartoons, comic strips, educational films, and countless merchandise collections. His temper, sailor outfit, and near-unintelligible voice helped make him a fan-favorite. Here are a few of his career accomplishments, according to the Walt Disney Family Museum:

• He ranks No. 1 in most Disney film appearances, surpassing even Mickey Mouse.

• He joined the U.S. Army in the 1942 cartoon Donald Gets Drafted, and received an honorable discharge in 1984 as part of his 50th birthday celebration. 

• He won an Academy Award® for Best Short Subject Cartoon for Der Fuerher’s Face, an anti-Nazi propaganda short film. 

With so much history, Disney could’ve celebrated Donald’s birthday in a myriad of ways. But they decided to take the route that put Donald in the cultural spotlight and highlighted his humor and personality. 

The Execution:

Disney partnered with First We Feast to create a special edition of the popular YouTube series Hot Ones. The show usually features celebrities answering thoroughly researched questions while eating a lineup of chicken wings, doused with hot sauce that progressively climbs higher and higher on the Scoville scale. But Donald’s episode had an animated twist. 

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ animator Eric Goldberg was brought in to direct and write the episode, which paid homage to the studio by bringing Donald to life with pencil and paper. Donald appeared sitting across from Hot Ones host Sean Evans in the classic, old-school animation style. He fielded interview questions while sweating his way through a lineup of spicy wings (which were the vegetarian option made of cauliflower). 

To pull this off, the team had a live shoot with Evans and Tony Anselmo, who’s been the official voice of Donald Duck since 1985. They combed through the animatics from the live shoot and from that, the animation team delivered the final result. 

The core Hot Ones structure remained in the episode, and Donald’s signature chaos was also in full-force—he had a tantrum, told Evans to shut up, and breathed fire at the last wing. Mickey Mouse was on-set showing support for Donald, and he was also teased and made an appearance in the final moments of the show. 

To amplify the campaign, Disney posted behind the scenes looks showing the sketches of Donald and how the team approached production. And per usual, the video episode aired on First We Feast’s YouTube channel. 

@disney

Step behind the scenes for an inside-look at how @Walt Disney Animation Studios put Donald Duck in the hot seat on Hot Ones!

The Results:

Donald Duck’s episode of Hot Ones racked up over 22 million views. Among all Hot Ones episodes in 2024 (33 in total), the episode ranks No. 3 in views, nudging out celebrity episodes like Chris Hemsworth, Ariana Grande, and Sydney Sweeney. 

Donald’s episode ranks No. 5 in total comments out of the 418 videos posted on the First We Feast YouTube channel in 2024. The campaign saw coverage from Entertainment Weekly and landed on the homepage of CNN. The promotional clips on Disney’s TikTok handle saw engagement +157% above the 2024 video average. 

Key Takeaways:

1) Adapt your brand authentically.

Many legacy brands are forced to readjust or face the consequences at some point. With this campaign, Disney struck the ideal balanced authenticity and modernization. They paid homage to Donald’s roots by featuring pencil and paper animation and his personality, but did so on a modern channel. 

There’s a way to make legacy brands relevant without losing brand identity. If it’s time for your brand to do that, explore what authentic adaptation could look like. What can you bend on? What can you carry over? Brainstorm, get the necessary checks, and do some tests until you feel confident in the direction your campaign is headed.  

2) Explore uncharted marketing opportunities.

A 90th birthday could’ve meant a montage of Donald’s previous films or a retro merch drop. But instead, Disney decided to give Donald a platform he’s never had. That reframing helped turn his birthday into an event with cultural relevance.

Take stock of your brand’s marketing opportunities. Where can you stretch? What new avenues can you explore? When you have room to deviate from tried-and-true formats, take advantage by exploring new roles and environments.

3) Wherever your campaign lives, make it feel native. 

Donald Duck’s wing-eating showdown didn’t come with a sales pitch, a tagline, or a link to shop. But it still achieved notable results for Disney. The campaign showcased a well-crafted balance between Donald’s personality and the Hot Ones brand.

Evaluate how your brand approaches campaigns, and consider the moments when heavy-handed branding works versus a light touch. There are proper avenues for both options so make sure you and your team can spot the difference and execute accordingly.

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