Party planners take note! We've organized some of the best Inside Out party theme ideas on the web to help inspire your next birthday celebration, movie night, baby shower, or event. Follow our Pinterest Board here.
Inside Out character cupcakes.
Inside Out party food.
One of the things we appreciate about fan art is seeing how people take a popular idea, character or universe and completely reimagine it. Inside Out hasn't made its official debut in theaters, but fans all over are already paying homage to the new characters. Here are just 8 Pixar-inspired pieces of fan art worth talking about.
Sadness by Deviant Artist PikkolaPungu.
Artist Unknown.
Inside Out by Deviant Artist Hinoki_Pastry.
Inside Out (officially licensed fan art) by Fernando Reza.
Artist Unknown.
Artist Unknown.
Artist Unknown.
Inside Out by Deviant Artist Frozenspots.
Pixar's Inside Out hits theaters this Friday, June 19th. Based on what we've already seen, this animated feature is sure to light up the box office on opening weekend. But all of those teasers and trailers were just a small part of what got us excited about this movie. The real buzz began when Pixar deployed a marketing strategy that invited fans to do the marketing alongside them. While many strategies tend to broadcast and only distribute content, Pixar's strategy revolved around making genuine connections with people.
We've seen brands do this before, but very few times have we ever really seen them reward or follow through on their ask. For Inside Out, Pixar collaborated with artist networks like the Poster Posse, and featured fan art contest entries on social media channels like Tumblr, and Instagram. They also invited writers like Jon Negroni, blogging moms like Vera Sweeney, YouTube sensations like The Eh Bee Family, several podcasters, and other online personalities to get a behind-the-scenes look at their work ahead of the film's debut. Insiders wrote posts about their experiences, hinted at what they saw, and praised them for a job well done.
Marketing doesn't have to be one-sided. If you're getting ready to launch a product, brand, or event, identify your most devout followers and see how you can leverage their help or influence.
Pixar's Inside Out collaboration with artists, Salvador Anguiano, Matt Needle, and Adam Rabalais of the Poster Posse (left to right).
Pixar enthusiast, Jon Negroni at the #InsideOutPixarHQ Event.
Lettering and images by Sean Tulgetske, inspired by Pixar's Inside Out.
Pixar's Inside Out social media channels and assets.
With everyone essentially on every social media network these days, Pixar made sure to coordinate content across all platforms. But they did more than just share links and announcements with followers. In fact, they brilliantly contextualized assets as well. On their Inside Out website and social media channels, Pixar resourced their fans with downloadable mobile and desktop wallpapers, stickers, headers and profile images. They took things even further and populated the web with shareable #BirthdayEmotions, #WeddingEmotions, coloring book pages, doorhangers, and Pinterest recipes.
Communicators looking to build awareness need to make sure they build creative assets people can share and distribute for them. If you want to increase engagement, make sure graphics aren't overloaded. And if your culture allows it, use humor.
Don't be afraid to open the floor for discussion. If you keep all the information to yourself, you'll have trouble getting people behind you. At special screenings, festivals, and events, Pixar invited people to ask questions about the cast, production, studio, etc. For those unable to attend those engagements, Twitter became the go-to space designed for questions to be taken.
People with shared interests like to huddle with other members of the tribe to develop relationships, network, and speak the same language. For Inside Out, Pixar initiated a series of "emotional" events for industry peers, students, artists, and fans. Do a hashtag search of #InsideOutYouTubeSpace, #InsideOutPixarHQ, #InsideOutAllAccess, #BeEmotionalInsideOut, and #SpreadJoy and you'll see where people gathered offline and online. The lesson here: if you build it, they will come.
Throughout the year, Pixar took advantage of expressing their "emotions" by commemorating several seasons, cultural events and holidays. Rather than ignoring them altogether, they fashioned character memes accordingly and joined the online conversation. And in an exclusive movie tie-in, 15 new bitmojis were released for fans wanting to fully immerse themselves with these emotions while texting.
In honor of Inside Out hitting theaters THIS Friday, June 19th, we're dedicating each blog post this week to Pixar's new animated feature.
Today, we want you to check out these wonderfully designed Inside Out movie posters in their drastically contextualized forms. The posters used in Japan are my personal favorite set. #InsideOutWeek
Inside Out, 2015. ©Disney/Pixar.
Inside Out, 2015. ©Disney/Pixar.
Inside Out, 2015. ©Disney/Pixar.
Inside Out, 2015. ©Disney/Pixar.
Inside Out, 2015. ©Disney/Pixar.
Inside Out, 2015. ©Disney/Pixar.
Inside Out, 2015. ©Disney/Pixar.
Inside Out, 2015. ©Disney/Pixar.
Inside Out, 2015. ©Disney/Pixar.
It's Inside Out Week on the blog! Check in each day for fan art, party theme ideas, reviews, and special announcements. Pixar's highly anticipated new animated feature hits theaters THIS Friday, June 19th.
CreativeMornings SD at the Moniker Warehouse.
CreativeMornings San Diego hosted its first breakfast lecture at the Moniker Warehouse last month. For those of us who scored a seat in the house, we were treated to a helping of delicious pastries, donuts, and freshly brewed coffee. The highlight of course was the talk by Co-founder of Invisible Children Jason Russell.
Read some of my favorite quotes from his talk below and then sit back and watch the 30 minute video.
"Steve Jobs, Barack Obama, and Oprah Winfrey have something in common. They were all mistakes. They were all unwanted by their parents."
"When I went on 17 shows in two days...New York, LA...all the top shows. This is what I was being asked... 'How did you make a video go viral?' Not one person from Anderson Cooper to Ann Curry to anyone I talked to, none of them asked, 'How can we help bring back children who have been rapped and turned into child soldiers?'"
"Dr. Martin Luther King, and Gandhi... thousands of people, they would have died for the internet. They would have been amazed. The would have said, 'You're all connected?' What are you going to do with the connectivity?'"
Jason Russell speaks on fighting through the ugly to find beauty within the creative process at CreativeMornings San Diego, January 2015.
Photobooth fun with my creative friends.
This month, CreativeMornings welcomes CEO of the Surfrider Foundation Chad Nelson to the stage. To get details or watch other lectures, make sure to visit CreativeMornings here.
Guests who attended our Pixar tribute show earlier this month were treated to artwork from Michaela Kuenster of Burbank, CA.
Michaela's work is colorful, romantic, and wonderfully whimsical. I recently had the privilege of asking her a few questions. Below are her answers.
Michaela Kuenster.
1. The Pixar universe is full of characters we can relate to. Is there one particular character you identify with the most? Why?
The Pixar characters are so relatable because of the great scenes that those characters get to have, emotionally. Those characters get put through some tough stuff - which is why I love these movies. So instead of a character, I'll pick a moment...
The Incredibles, 2004. ©Disney/Pixar.
One that has always resonated with me is from The Incredibles. Mr. Incredible shuts himself in his study after being fired from his soul-crushing office job. He empties out his briefcase and finds the message from Mirage, offering him the mission. He frantically scribbles down the information while Helen yells through the door about dinner. The message ends and he sits back in his chair. He looks up at his “Wall of Fame" above his desk, covered in headlines, awards, and the key to the city – all these mementos that represent his extraordinary past life. As Bob (Mr. Incredible) gazes up at the man he once was, his face changes... you can see it dawn on him that he’s been offered a chance to be that man again. He's been offered the opportunity to be who he has always been at his core - the man he had resigned himself to forgetting.
I think that we can all relate to that on some level – being bogged down with jobs. And life stuff can make us feel like we are aren’t using our powers, that we aren’t being the person that we know we can be. It can be discouraging and can even cause people to give up on their dreams entirely. That scene did a great job of capturing that feeling and making us feel what Bob felt, as he realized he was getting a second chance at greatness.
2. What person, place or thing is inspiring you right now?
I think I'm always subconsciously trying to rip off Bill Peet, Jules Feiffer, Quentin Blake, or William Steig. But then I subconsciously beat myself up, because it doesn't look like Robert Lawson, Robert McCloskey, Alan Tiegreen, or Al Hirschfield.
Also, the city of Los Angeles never fails to inspire me! I live in Burbank, but I work on a show called It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which is at Fox Studios. That translates to roughly 11 hours a week spent crawling across LA in traffic. In the morning, I zig-zag through town, like a warrior. At night, I cut up through the canyons. So much of that drive is full of inspiration to me – it’s also full of extreme rage and mental breakdown - but I try to focus on the inspiration…
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Fox.
The Hollywood freaks, the regular homeless guys, the yoga mat yuppies through Runyon, the drivers sitting in front of the agencies and mansions, the film crews setting up, the nannies waiting for their buses, the dogs out pooping... I am inspired by those LA stories, but having grown up here, I have my own personal history superimposed over them. Think about it: You're on your way to work and you get to watch a crazy woman urinate on the steps of the Cafe 50s where you had your first date. That's a lot of layers of inspiration.
3. You showcased a piece titled "Your Only Limit is Your Soul" at For The Love of Pixar earlier this month. Tell us about it.
"Your Only Limit is Your Soul" by Michaela Kuenster. Photo by Lisa Diaz.
My Pixar piece comes from Ratatouille, where Remy watches Gusteau's cooking show. Gusteau's philosophy is "Anyone can cook" - that nothing should hold you back from becoming who you want to be.
Sometimes you just need someone to believe in you, even if they're only on TV. As a kid, I remember watching Mr. Rogers, Bob Ross, Julia Child - and feeling the same way. I knew that they were just talking to the camera, but it felt like they were talking to me. ...So I made my Pixar piece based on that.
4. If you could travel back in time, what advise would you give to your 10 year old self?
Stay in school. Don't do drugs. Don't open a bicycle shop in Texas. Don't drive more than 55 mph through Arkansas. Never put potato peels down the garbage disposal. Everybody plays favorites. Always look at every angle.
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Check out Michaela's Instagram feed here to see a gallery of her work.
The days leading up to our Pixar tribute and benefit show were long. Walls had to go up, furniture had to be moved, display doors had to be touched up, food had to be prepared, and most importantly, art had to be mounted. But all this work was made easier, thanks to our incredible artists, volunteers, and partners.
Entrance to Sunnyside Daycare. Photo by Lisa Diaz.
Finally! For the Love of Pixar had arrived...and guess what? We had a BLAST!
Although we didn't raise a lot of financial support, we were able to raise a lot of awareness for charities like Give Clean Water, LiNK: Liberty in North Korea, and Invisible Children. With nearly 700 people dropping by to check out our event throughout the day, we have no doubt our artists were encouraged and the spirits of the people involved in these charities were lifted. To top it off, our guests donated lots of new toys for children in need.
Below are several photos from the event - including some from photographer Lisa Diaz. We especially want to thank her for documenting the details of the art show so well. Check out her Instagram profile here.
Hanging with my friend Marco and his Pizza Planet Truck.
Finding Nemo inspired cupcakes prepared by Julie johnson.
The Pizza Planet Truck courtesy of Marco Bongiorno and friends. Photo by Lisa Diaz.
Brandon Spaulding as Toy Story's Woody with The Pizza Planet Truck. Photo by Lisa Diaz.
Inside Sunnyside Daycare. Photo by Lisa Diaz.
Toy drop off at Sunnyside Daycare.
Inside Sunnyside Daycare. Photo by Lisa Diaz.
Pixar-inspired photo entry by John Attis Moore.
Andy's Room display. Photo by Lisa Diaz.
Andy's Room display. Photo by Lisa Diaz.
"Spanish Mode" by Ben Ochoa. Photo by Lisa Diaz.
"Villains Make the Hero" by Karina MacCharles. Photo by Lisa Diaz.
June Rodgers gives art lessons at Monsters University. Photo by Lisa Diaz.
Monsters University event posters. Photo by Lisa Diaz.
UP display. Photo by Lisa Diaz.
UP inspired collection jar. Photo by Lisa Diaz.
"Your Only Limit is Your Soul" by Michaela Kuenster. Photo by Lisa Diaz.
Shari, Betsy, and Maryjo inside Gusteau's Kitchen. Inspired by the film Ratatouille.
"Wall-E" by Allison Jones. Photo by Lisa Diaz.
"The Man With No Gun" by Daniel Davis. Photo by Lisa Diaz.
Monsters, Inc. display. Photo by Lisa Diaz.
Hanging with my friends from Invisible Children.
Again, a big thank you to everyone who played a part in making this art show a reality. No role was too small.
