Disney Looking for ‘Unsung Hero’ for Next Phase of Ads

After four years of using sports stars to promote its theme parks, Walt Disney Co. is looking for an unrecognized hero to shout triumphantly at a TV camera: “I’m going to Disneyland!”

The company said Monday it will pick a college student who has overcome unusual adversity to graduate to be the star of its highly successful “What’s Next” television commercial and to prance down Main Street with Mickey Mouse.

The winner, who will be chosen in a nationwide search, will join such well-known sports heroes as Joe Montana, Magic Johnson and Orel Hershiser, who are among those featured in the series of TV commercials that began airing in 1987.

By broadening its star-studded advertising campaign, Disney said, it hopes to reach more of the college market. Though one might expect that college seniors might have larger problems on their mind, Disney officials say they believe that one lucky graduate will be their perfect banner carrier for the early summer campaign.

“We’re looking for someone whose story will captivate the public,” said John Dreyer, a Disney World spokesman in Florida, where the idea was cooked up by Disney Chairman Michael Eisner and Senior Vice President Tom Elrod.

Disney has sent queries to colleges and universities and is appealing to the public to find the perfect candidate.

Among the top contenders so far is a 24-year-old who became a quadriplegic while in college, then made up credits and went on to receive his degree. Also in the running are three brothers who are completing law school thanks to their mother, who worked two jobs to support them.

Until now, the in-house-produced campaign has run almost entirely on winning athletes, starting with the New York Giants’ Phil Sims, who was the first to declare he was heading for Disney World after winning the Super Bowl in 1987.

Since then, he has been joined by Dodger pitcher Hershiser, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Montana, retired Laker center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and others. The sole non-athlete was Miss America, Gretchen Carlson of Minnesota, in 1988.

Dreyer said the company knew it had a promotion success when winning youth football and baseball teams started “going off the field saying, ‘I’m going to Disney World.’ ”

These days, the personalities in the spots are headed two places. Dreyer said most of the commercials are taped so they can be used for either Disneyland in Anaheim or Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

As the “What’s Next?” campaign entered the popular culture, Disneyland and Disney World even had some unpaid--and unwanted--endorsements. After being sentenced to death, convicted Night Stalker Richard Ramirez told reporters: “Big deal. Death comes with the territory. See you at Disneyland.”