The Muppets 70th Campaign Nominated for Shorty Awards!

The Muppets 70th Anniversary campaign has been nominated for three Shorty Awards. 

The campaign is up for best Brand Awareness Campaign, Copywriting, and Brand Voice

From their submission:

Their objective was to execute a 70 week-long celebration of 70 different Muppet characters. Each week, icons were spotlighted like Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, fan-favorites like Pepé the King Prawn and Joe the Legal, and extreme deep cuts like Angus McGonagle the Argyle Gargoyle.

The strategy was executed almost exclusively on social, allowing Disney to meet Muppet fans where they already are. Our goal was to celebrate the breadth of 70 years of Muppet history, highlighting not only specific characters and creative projects, but Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and the Muppet Performers who bring the characters to life.

The bulk of the campaign was executed through a mix of scene lifts, video edits, custom scripted character videos, historical still photos, exclusive behind-the-scenes images, and more. Every week, the spotlight was turned onto Muppet fans with fan art prompts for each featured character. 20-40 pieces closed out a character's celebratory week before kicking off the next. In total, over 300 artists were spotlighted, helping this celebration feel both for the fans and by the fans.

The Muppets 70th campaign was unique because it allowed an opportunity for The Muppets to celebrate themselves. As the only characters within The Walt Disney Company who are able to speak in-character and in the first-person on social media, The Muppets were able to celebrate alongside their fans. This was achieved via social exclusive character Q&A sessions, in-character social copy and commentary, and our "Muppets About Muppets" custom video series, where one Muppet would opine about that week's featured character.

The results of The Muppets 70th anniversary campaign exceeded expectations from both an analytics standpoint and a fan reaction standpoint. Posts from the campaign window are now in The Muppets' top 10 most engaged with posts of all-time on Instagram. Mid-way through the campaign, we reached one million Instagram followers, which we celebrated with a custom video featuring Kermit the Frog.

Fan reactions were also spectacular throughout the campaign. Every week, the account was met with so much love for the featured characters, giving us a sense of which fan-favorite characters resonate the most. Disney was thrilled to give fans an exciting, exclusive way to show their love for The Muppets!

You can red more about the campaign and help them win their categories by voting daily through April 8th at: https://shortyawards.com/18th/the-muppets-70th-anniversary-celebration

Congrats to Theresa, Mae, Ryan Leigh, Dani, Michael, Frank, Tiff and everyone involved in The Muppets 70th campaign.

The Muppets at 70: We Still Miss You, Jim!

Another May 16th is upon us Muppet fans. A day to reflect on Jim Henson's passing and the creative legacy he left behind. 

This year, as The Muppets and the Henson Company turn 70 there are many celebrations planned to celebrate.

On June 14, The Walt Disney Family Museum is hosting a special event celebrating the Jim Henson Company's 70th anniversary.

And today Muppet fans from all over are convening at Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World to say goodbye to Muppet*Vision, which is closing June 7th. 

If you can't make it or haven't seen the attraction before here's a taste of what it's like to experience it. 

While Sesame Street and The Muppet Show made the Muppets known world-wide, it was Jim's very first show, Sam and Friends, that set the tone and innovation we've come to expect from a Henson production. 

In 1986, CBS aired The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years showcasing many of the Henson Company's productions up to that point. 

Just think about everything that come out since. So as The Muppets and The Jim Henson Company turn 70, we reflect on the not just the legacy Jim left behind, but look ahead to whatever the future holds for the beloved characters he created. 

35 years later, we still miss you, Jim!

California Legislature Honors Kermit the Frog Ahead of ‘Kermit the Frog Day’!

May 9th is Kermit the Frog Day, celebrating the 70th anniversary of Kermit's first television appearance. In recognition of this milestone, the California Legislature issued an official proclamation honoring our favorite amphibian. 

The proclamation, presented by the Honorable Nick Schultz of California’s 44th Assembly District, was delivered at The Muppets Studio headquarters in Glendale, California.

"If we all pitch in and perform an act of kindness, imagine how much good we can put into the world," said Kermit the Frog, encouraging everyone to get involved.

Fans are invited to join the festivities by wearing green, performing acts of kindness, and spreading Kermit's message of compassion on social media using the hashtags #KermittheFrogDay and #TheMuppets70.

Below is the full text of California Member’s Resolution RN 25 51354:

MEMBER’S RESOLUTION

By the Honorable Nick Schultz, 44th Assembly District; Relative to

KERMIT THE FROG

WHEREAS, People from throughout the State of California, the nation, and the world are celebrating the seventieth anniversary of the first appearance of Kermit the Frog, a beloved character that has helped educate countless children and brought joy to millions of fans around the globe since debuting on May 9, 1955, on the Sam & Friends television show; and

WHEREAS, Created and originally performed by the late Jim Henson, who used his mother’s coat to provide the material for the puppet’s body, Kermit the Frog is 25 inches tall, has four toes on each of his flippers, and usually wears a light green jester’s collar with 11 collar points, and the original model is now displayed in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.; and

WHEREAS, Having become known as the leader and often the symbol of The Muppets franchise, Kermit the Frog was one of the original main Muppet characters on Sesame Street – the treasured educational children’s television show – and went on to be featured in The Muppet Show, which debuted on television in 1976 and ran for five seasons – with Kermit introducing the guest host at the beginning of every episode – winning four Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award during the show’s lifetime; and

WHEREAS, For The Muppets first film, The Muppet Movie, which premiered in 1979, Kermit the Frog is shown setting off for Hollywood, California, with his friends to pursue their dreams, and with the film shot primarily in Los Angeles, Kermit’s swamp remains in place on the Warner Bros. lot and is still used as a filming location to this day; and

WHEREAS, With The Muppets Studio now part of The Walt Disney Company and headquartered in Glendale, Kermit the Frog has appeared in numerous Muppets productions that have been filmed in Los Angeles County, including The Muppets film from 2011, the Muppets Most Wanted film from 2014, the muppets television series that debuted in 2014, and the Muppets Haunted Mansion Halloween special that premiered on Disney+ in 2021, among many others; and

WHEREAS, Boasting an official character biography that states that he splits his time between the swamp and a pad in Hollywood, which he shares with pigs, bears, chickens, and other various other weirdos, Kermit the Frog, now performed by Matt Vogel, was immortalized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002 and again as a part of The Muppets when the franchise was so honored in 2012; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED BY ASSEMBLY MEMBER NICK SCHULTZ, That The Muppets Studio and The Walt Disney Company be congratulated on the celebration of Kermit the Frog’s seventieth anniversary and commended for sharing this beloved and iconic character with audiences around the world, who have been educated, entertained, and touched by the unique and engaging personality Kermit presents to his innumerable fans.

Dated this 9th day of May, 2025.

Honorable Nick Schultz

44th Assembly District

 

Happy Kermit the Frog Day!