Disney launches Magic of Storytelling campaign to benefit First Book charity

Who better to launch a Magic of Storytelling campaign than some of the best storytellers around? I am, of course, talking about the creative folks at The Walt Disney Company.

The Magic of Storytelling campaign is a collaboration between Disney Publishing Worldwide and Disney-ABC Television Group to help First Book put new books into the hands of disadvantaged children in communities nationwide.

First Book is a charity that Disney has partnered with for many years, but I first became aware of the organization at D23 last summer. That’s because the Disney Citizenship booth at the mega-convention offered participants the opportunity to get involved by donating a few minutes of their time to help assemble packages of books. Afterward, voluntEARS could further their donations by posting on social media with the #DisneyCitizenhip hashtag. For each post on Instagram and Twitter, Disney donated $1 to the charity. (You can read more about D23 and Disney Citizenship here.)

The Magic of Storytelling campaign features a public service announcement, special events, an extensive media campaign, social media activations and a 50-state online challenge. As part of the initiative, the first Disney Reads Day was launched this past weekend (on Feb. 6), and Disney has said it plans to make it an annual event. Disney Store locations nationwide, as well as other retailers, took part with family friendly activities, story time and even visits by celebrities.

If you missed Disney Reads Day, you still have time to take part in activities that will benefit First Book. Consumers can post a “shelfie” — a selfie with a favorite book or in front of a bookshelf. For each “shelfie” posted to Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #MagicOfStorytelling by March 31, First Book will direct a book donated by Disney to an organization in need, up to 500,000 books. In addition, consumers can visit firstbook.org/BeInspired to vote online to win a donation of books for kids in need in their state. Schools and programs registered with First Book in the winning state will receive 100,000 books. Second and third place states will receive 25,000 and 10,000 books, respectively.

Disney has donated a record 50 million books to First Book.

“Storytelling is at the heart of everything we do,” said Leslie Ferraro, co-chair, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media and president, Disney Consumer Products. “Great stories change lives, unleash imaginations and foster creativity. We are incredibly proud of our ongoing, long-standing partnership with First Book and the work they have done to bring books to kids in need, and we look forward to sharing the Magic of Storytelling and Disney Reads Day with families and fans.”

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