Keep Merida Brave
Take Action to Keep Merida Brave!
Thanks to everyone for your support of the Keep Merida Brave campaign! In the film, Merida wanted to change her fate; together, we can change hers.
Below are several actions you can take to send a message to Disney letting them know your feelings on the redesign and asking them to keep Merida brave! And, to stay connected to the campaign and receive other girl-empowering news and updates, follow A Mighty Girl on Facebook.
- Sign the petition
- Email a personal message to Disney
- Send a tweet to Disney
- Call Disney
- Blog about the campaign
Sign the petition
If you haven't signed our petition yet, please join your voice with over 200,000 fellow "Team Merida" supporters at "Stop the Merida Makeover: Keep Merida Brave." Sign the petition now!
Send a personal email to Disney decision makers
Hearing from individual customers, especially when combined with the messages of others, can have a significant influence on companies.
Below are the names and email address of two major Disney decision makers, along with a two sample email messages -- one for parents and one for other supporters. We encourage you to personalize this message with a polite statement of why keeping Merida brave matters to you. Better yet, write your own message sharing your views!
Contact:
Robert A. Iger, Disney CEO at robert.a.iger@disney.com
Nidia Caceros, Director, Disney Corporate Communications at nidia.caceros@disney.com
Sample Email from Parents
Dear Mr. Iger and Ms. Caceros,
My [daughter/son/children] and I were very excited when the movie Brave came out. Merida was the princess that we were waiting for -- a strong, confident princess who looked and acted like a real girl. It was our love of Merida that made me so upset when you changed her image for her inclusion in the Disney Princess merchandise line that’s currently visible on the Disney Consumer Products website.
Merida is an empowering role model for my [daughter/son/children] who shows that girls can go off on adventures and make change in worth rather just be trophies to be admired. I am especially troubled by your decision to make Merida appear skinnier, sexier and more mature in appearance. I feel that you are sending a message to my children that the original, realistic, teenage-appearing version of Merida is inferior; that for girls and women to have value, they have to conform to the narrow definition of beauty.
I’ve heard that you’ve said this version of Merida was only intended as one-time product release for her coronation but that you haven’t decided what she will ultimately look like as part of the princess collection. I’m writing to ask you to make a public commitment that future depictions of Merida -- whether in short-lived product releases or in her future iconic image as part of the Disney Princess collection -- will stay true to original character. My [daughter/son/children], like many others, have come to love Merida but this redesigned version of Merida is barely recognizable to them as their beloved hero.
I am asking you to make an official statement that you will respect the vision of Merida’s creator to offer girls a "different kind of princess" and be responsive to the large outpouring of support for keeping Merida’s image true to her original character. For my [daughter/son/kids], and children everywhere, we are asking you to Keep Merida Brave.
Sincerely,
[insert your name]
Sample Email from Others
Dear Mr. Iger and Ms. Caceros,
I was very excited when the movie Brave came out to see a strong, confident princess like Merida who looked and acted like a real girl. It was my love of Merida that made me so upset when you changed her image for her inclusion in the Disney Princess merchandise line that’s currently visible on the Disney Consumer Products website.
Merida is an empowering role model for children who shows them that girls can go off on adventures and make change in worth rather just be trophies to be admired. I am especially troubled by your decision to make Merida appear skinnier, sexier and more mature in appearance. I feel that you are sending a message to kids that the original, realistic, teenage-appearing version of Merida is inferior; that for girls and women to have value, they have to conform to the narrow definition of beauty.
I’ve heard that you’ve said this version of Merida was only intended as one-time product release for her coronation but that you haven’t decided what she will ultimately look like as part of the princess collection. I’m writing to ask you to make a public commitment that future depictions of Merida -- whether in short-lived product releases or in her future iconic image as part of the Disney Princess collection -- will stay true to original character. There are so many children who have come to love Merida but this redesigned version of Merida is barely recognizable to them as their beloved hero.
I am asking you to make an official statement that you will respect the vision of Merida’s creator to offer girls a "different kind of princess" and be responsive to the large outpouring of support for keeping Merida’s image true to her original character. For children everywhere, we are asking you to Keep Merida Brave.
Sincerely,
[insert your name]
Send a tweet to Disney
Tweeting is a great way to send a message directly to Disney. Please send your tweets to @Disney and include our campaign hash tag #KeepMeridaBrave as shown in the sample tweets below.
@Disney - I'm saying NO to the Merida Makeover! Keep Merida Brave! #KeepMeridaBrave
@Disney - We want your committment to Keeping Merida Brave! Say NO to the Merida Makeover! #KeepMeridaBrave
@Disney, #KeepMeridaBrave or I'm #NotBuyingIt
@Disney, I'm waiting for your commitment to #KeepMeridaBrave
Call Disney to express your concerns
Below we provide a calling script that addresses several key points you may wish to raise but please share your personal experience and concerns.
Sample Phone Script
Hi! My name is _____. How are you today? [Wait for response]
Great! I’m calling because I am really disappointed by Merida’s recent makeover and Disney’s use of this new image on merchandise. [Share your personal experience with Merida as a Brave heroine, why you were disappointed in the makeover, and why it’s important to you that Disney Keep Merida Brave!]
Portraying Merida on any product as a skinnier, sexier version of her former self is a betrayal of the character girls and women fell in love with when the movie was released. I loved Merida the way she was because she showed girls that being a princess isn’t about being beautiful but about being strong and believing in yourself. I want to be able to buy products that send that message, so I’m asking Disney to make a public commitment that they will keep Merida Brave in all future product releases.
Will you please pass my message along to Mr. Iger and Ms. Caceros?
[IF YES] Great! Thank you! [Politely end call.]
[IF NO] I think it’s important that Disney listen to their fans concerns about Merida. Will you please reconsider and let our leadership know I called?
[IF YES] Great, thank you very much. [Politely end call.]
Note: They may ask you for your number so someone can call you back to address your concerns. Of course, it’s up to you if you would like to give it to them. Your call will have an impact either way.
Blog about the Keep Merida Brave campaign
Blogging or otherwise sharing information with others is a great way to help spread the word and keep pressure on Disney.
Here are several key points that you may wish to highlight in a blog post:
- Contrary to reports in various news outlets, Disney has not pulled the new sexy Merida design
- This campaign was never focused on Merida’s image on Disney.com but on how Merida will be portrayed now that she is an official part of the Disney Princess collection
- Disney continues to promote the redesigned, sexier Merida and this version was emblazoned across Target’s Disney Princess Collection website until it was taken down due to pressure on 5/19. The madeover Merida can still be found throughout the Disney Consumer Products page (view our blog for more details)
- If this redesign is truly part of a one-time, limited product run, we seek an official statement that future and perhaps even more offensive renditions of Merida will not appear in future product releases or become established as her iconic image as part of the Disney Princess collection and they are committed to preserving the original, brave Merida in all future merchandise releases and marketing.
- Disney is paying attention so now is the time to keep the pressure on. Visit www.amightygirl.com/keepmeridabrave for more information on how to take action.