Donald Duck's 90th Birthday Party
How do you throw a 90th birthday for one of the greatest animated characters of all time? Disney approached MATTE for DD90, a birthday party for the spirited, beloved Donald Duck – inviting Gen Z and celebrating NYC culture.
By bringing Donald and his sensibilities to life for fans through real New York culture, inviting compelling talent into the fold and showcasing new technologies, MATTE was uniquely able to create the context in which all these elements harmonized.
Client
Disney
Year
2024
To us, Donald himself was everything Gen Z is– spirited, self-aware, competitive and playful.
Welcome to New Duck City
Disney sought a partner to help bring the spirit of Donald to life in New York City for the Gen-Z crowd to celebrate what an iconic character he has been for so many decades. There was no better place to host his birthday party, than in the heart of the city at HERO. The creative approach seamlessly weaved Donald's friends, live music, and cult favorite Disney merchandise together in order to create a experience that attendees from across the globe could take part in for one exclusive night.
Entrance Windows Treated w/ Skyline Mural on Garage Door
Interactive Moments
Driven by experiences, visitors to DD90 were treated to a blend of interactive moments and performative displays such as Duck St Records and Duck Court that immersed guests in the world of New Duck City.
Partner Spaces
Disney partners received their own activation space, inspired by classic 90’s New York motifs.
Vespa Garage—A product showcase and photo op took on the form of a Brooklyn scooter/auto-body shop
Hot Topic Boardwalk—Hot Topic’s merch stand drew inspiration from the Coney Island boardwalk
Pandora Diamond District Bar—A bar and product display inspired by the gritty glitz of NYC’s Diamond District
Canal Street Vendors—Product scaffolding display with convex mirrors encouraging guests selfies
Loungefly Park—Inspired by the spirit of New York's parks, a swing set offered opportunity for group photos
Illusion Island Arcade—90s nostalgia was at the essence of this arcade where guests played Nintendo Switch
Partners
Vespa / Hot topic / Pandora / RSVLTS / Citizen / Cakeworthy / Boxlunch / Loungefly / Illusion Island
BTS
Partner Spaces
From render to reality, Disney partners and their products were seamlessly integrated into New Duck City with a variety of displays and showcases.
Donald’s Sound System With DJ Pee .Wee
DJ Pee .Wee’s 90s, vinyl-only DJ set spawned a dance routine that brought the hype and energy to make the the occasion a truly celebratory and larger-than-life New York moment. At the event’s climax, a balloon drop was the exclamation point at the end of an occasion that was equal parts fun and functionality.
DD90 triumphed as a tribute to an icon, while being future-forward in the center of culture.
Quackin Content Capture
The magnetic energy of the evening was initially teased on social, giving followers a cryptic yet exciting clue as to the event ahead. Within 24 hours an energetic :60 second video hit feeds, giving a full scale view of the evening before. From detailed animations to considered photo treatments, Matte and Disney merged into a seamless vis ID that captured the spirit of Donald Duck's 90th celebration.
MATTE Partner
Matt Rowean
Max Pollack
Group Client Director
Shreena Shah
Client Manager
Kiara Fairbrother
Senior Experiential Designer
Andre Brown
Experiential Designer
Trinity Montgomery
Rada Singhasaneh
Designer
Nick Wilson
Head of Experiential
Thad Somoza
Director of Experiential Production
Leo Oliva
Executive Creative Director, Experiential
Michael Yu
Junior Producer, Experiential
Aim Wagemans
Experiential Production Coordinator
Joey Daoud
Programming and Events Director
Eugene Young
Associate Creative Director
Kelsey DaHarb
Caleb Ekeroth
Art Director
Tori Arcuri
Lewy Westhoff
Designer
Ross Arcuri
Producer
Steven Almonte
Director of Production
Spencer Thompson
Editor
Ben Swanson-Ralph
Jared Bordeaux
Post-Production Coordinator
Caro Fortuna
Director of Post-Production
Michael Czeizinger
Managing Director, MATTE Finish
Harrison Nalevansky
Client Director
Vlad Omazic
Videographer
Philey Sanneh
Karleah Delmoral
Photographer
Jess Licata
Wes Kloefkorn
Animator
Sinister Studios
3D Artist
Salvo Behar
Press
