World Creative Supply (Karma Creative)

A number of months ago, I posted about Starlight Runner Entertainment, a company which has been hired by Disney, amongst other companies, to craft backstories to a number of Disney properties, including Pirates of the Caribbean, Prince of Persia, Disney Fairies and TRON.

Recently, thanks to Werner Weiss of Yesterland, I have learnt of another company hired by Disney in a similar role, only this with a direct impact upon the theme parks.

World Creative Supply, formerly called Karma Creative, describe themselves as follows: "we name products, create slogans, write tag lines, and proofread text." For Disney specifically, they came up with an impressive number of the puns found throughout Disney California Adventure, a phenomenon I have criticised before for taking up opportunities for incluing.

Attraction Names Paradise Pier Orange Stinger S.S. rustworthy Shore Shot Midway Game San Joaquin Volley Midway Game

Restaurant & Store Names Burger Invasion Pizza Oom Mow Mow Catch a Flave Ice Cream Souvenir 66 Taste Pilots Grill Corn Dog Castle Treasures in Paradise Side Show Shirts

Gag Signs Phil M. Noir Dial M For Muscle Gone With the Chin Ben Hair Souvenir Itch

My first reaction upon discovering this (as part of my research into nomenclature and attraction naming) was surprise that Imagineering paid to out-source this work rather than come up with this in-house. I certainly realise attraction naming requires skill and a flair for language, but I would have expected Imagineering already possessed those skills. 

World Creative Supply's naming speciality is obviously the pun, and the company was no doubt hired by Imagineering to churn out huge lists of these suggestions which then went to the park's project leaders for approval, in addition to their slogan writing, theme graffiti, copy writing, interior signs, public relations material, corporate presentations, employee reference guides and much more written material. Suggestions have been made that Imagineering was quite simply overburdened during the design process and needed to alleviate some of the work.

As the park's great make-over continues however, it is the puns that are disappearing fast, a change in tactics I think is certainly not disconnected with the place-making abilities of diegetic nomenclature.