By the time Disneyland opened in 1955, Disney was a household name. Following the success of the studio’s movies and television shows like Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, Walt Disney’s Disneyland, and Walt Disney Presents, Walt Disney wanted a theme park where both kids and parents could enjoy the attractions. The area around the park had seemingly gone from orange groves to restaurants, hotels, and retail stores overnight. Families from around the country – and even abroad – made their vacation spot Disneyland. And as a result, the property values around the park exploded.

So, when Walt began to purchase land for Walt Disney World in the mid-1960s – it had to be a secret. If people knew that Walt was planning on opening a park in Central Florida, the value of the land would have skyrocketed. Walt and his team set up a series of shell companies to buy up the seemingly useless swampland and orange groves around the small town of Orlando, Florida – known for its oranges.

It seems Walt had a penchant for orange groves – after all, they’ve been a part of both park’s stories from the beginning.

In 1969, the year before Walt Disney World opened, the Florida Citrus Commission reached out to Disney to commission a mascot for their promotional campaigns. In exchange, the Florida Citrus Commission sponsored the Tropical Serenade attraction (or, you may know it as Walt Disney’s The Enchanted Tiki Room). Disney’s legendary animator, promotional artist Bob Moore (Dumbo and The Three Caballeros), and publicity art designer Don MacLaughlin teamed together to dream up the mascot.

On March 3rd, 1971, the Orange Bird was hatched at a press event in Lakeland, Florida – just a few months before the opening of Walt Disney World.

The Orange Bird is a small canary-like bird, with an orange for a head and leaves for wings. He loves to make new friends and brighten everyone’s day. However, he cannot sing or even tweet! Instead, he shares his thoughts and feelings with little orange thought clouds that appear above his head.

Through the 70s and 80s, the Orange Bird was the face of Florida and Florida Oranges; and his reach went from not only the pages of newspapers to becoming a popular and beloved mascot at Walt Disney World in Adventureland. Guests could enjoy citrus snacks and drink orange slushies in Orange Bird paper cups. Adventureland was also the only place guests could meet the friendly little bird in person!

The Orange Bird was brilliant marketing by The Florida Citrus Commission and Walt Disney World. It’s a case study of the power of promo. Guests smitten with meeting the Orange Bird wandering around the Sunshine Tree Terrace in Adventureland could bring home a souvenir with him on it. Then, they would see the advertisement for Florida oranges with the Orange Bird on their television, in magazines, or in the Sunday newspaper ads. Each one having the ability to spark memories of the good times they had on vacation and the yummy citrus treats, encouraging purchases of Florida-grown oranges and orange juice.

Guests could also find other promotional items like bells, coin banks, small figurines, salt and pepper shakers, trays, and plush. There was even a record album and storybook with songs composed by the Sherman Brothers – yes, those Sherman Brothers – the ones known for their work on Mary Poppins, The Aristocats, and It’s A Small World, to name a few. The record featured Anita Bryant, the spokeswoman of the Florida Citrus Commission at the time, and revealed the backstory of the Orange Bird and what brought him to Florida.

In 1980, an educational short was produced by the Walt Disney Company to promote healthy eating and activity, and you can watch that here.

The Orange Bird was removed in 1986 from Walt Disney World after the contract with the Florida Citrus Commission expired. Meanwhile, the Florida Citrus Commission was pivoting its marketing plans, dropping Anita Bryant as its spokeswoman after homophobic rallies. And the Orange Bird disappeared from Florida.

It wasn’t until 2012, for the 40th anniversary of Walt Disney World, that the little bird appeared in Walt Disney World again (though he already had a cult following in Japan), watching dutifully over the dole whips being served at the Sunshine Tree Terrace. For the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World, the parks released a special vault collection that includes some of the early promotional products for the parks, including the Orange Bird cup, now in ceramic, and a coin bank. Plush, purses, Magic Bands, and t-shirts featuring the Orange Bird can also be purchased – he even has a Little Golden Book!

The Orange Bird is a staple of Walt Disney World – he’s been with the park since the beginning. Nostalgia paired with a great brand icon has made sure he’s stuck around, and these days he’s as popular as ever. After over 50 years and even a short-lived retirement, people still like to buy branded merchandise with that little Orange Bird.

Disney does branding well – their theme parks are an empire built on promotional products (and yummy food). Much like Disney, a good, recognizable brand that sticks out among the crowd is key to ensuring good brand recognition and recall – and promotional products can help!

For more information on how to make a powerful, stand-out brand click here!