Materials & Packaging Materials & Packaging

Disney Thought ‘Outside the Box’ for Its New Moana Doll, Challenges Families to Do the Same

Disney is inspiring fans to think outside the toy box and help protect the planet in celebration of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Moana.” Inspired by the Disney Store’s new Classic Moana doll box, which can be turned into a boat inspired by the character’s journey, the non-profit Destination Imagination launched a photo challenge to encourage children and their parents to create inventions out of recycled materials found in their ho

By Sustainable Brands | Published 8 years ago | About a 2 minute read

Disney is inspiring fans to think outside the toy box and help protect the planet in celebration of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Moana.” Inspired by the Disney Store’s new Classic Moana doll box, which can be turned into a boat inspired by the character’s journey, the non-profit Destination Imagination launched a photo challenge to encourage children and their parents to create inventions out of recycled materials found in their homes.

Entrants in a competition will be asked to submit a photo of their creations along with the name of the toy, brief description about what it does and materials used. The contest ends today, October 27, and the Grand Prize is a trip for four to the Moana premiere on November 14 in Los Angeles, including airfare and accommodations. The film, which is about an adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people, will open in theaters on November 23.

“We are honored to have our film, Moana, associated with the important work of Destination Imagination, and look forward to hosting the winners of this exciting challenge at our premiere,” said the film’s producer, Osnat Shurer. “With Moana’s voyage across the open ocean as inspiration, the creative possibilities are endless – and I can’t wait to see what the fans dream up.”

Beyond the “Amazing Invention Photo Challenge,” the Moana doll box is made with 70 percent recycled paper and printed with vegetable-based inks. The easy-to-open Moana package was designed without glue or tape, allowing the packaging pieces to separate easily. Instructions are included for transforming the box itself into a boat, providing an added element of fun.

The packaging was created through the use of Disney’s Smart Packaging Initiative (SPI), a program dedicated to creating environmentally-conscious product packaging. Adam Gendell, Associate Director of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, has called Disney’s SPI “a first for the toy industry,” with a rigorous metrics-driven approach and “thoughtful” scoring system.