The Muppets are on Instagram …
And drinking Lipton Tea to relax …
And most excitingly of all, their movie Muppets Most Wanted is almost in theatres!
It’s almost too many The Muppets for just day except that you can never have too much of Kermit and Miss Piggy, Gonzo and Animal, Beaker and the Swedish Chef.
After years in the zeitgeist wilderness, they came back roaring into the very epicentre of pop culture awareness with The Muppets in 2011 starring Jason Segel and Amy Adams, a movie that recaptured everything we love about The Muppets.
For some of us of a certain age, they never really went away and they’re return was given the sort of greeting you give long lost friends who you haven’t seen in years but who live in old photos, videos, and letters.
But for others, especially those for whom the Internet has always been there ( you know who you are!) they’re a whole new wonderful thing, and duly deserve to be celebrated.
Which is what Disney is doing in a myriad of ways leading up to the release of Muppets Most Wanted with an inventive social media campaign, ridiculously fun commercial endorsements and appearances here, there and everywhere including (almost) at the Superbowl.
And now Fozzie, Animal, Kermit and the gang are on Instagram, with an account chock full of promo images for the film and selfies!
With all this pressure to be everywhere promoting their upcoming cinematic extravaganza, you might think The Muppets, particularly Kermit and the ever glamorous Miss Piggy would be a mite stressed … and you’d be right!
Following on from The Muppets inspired ad campaign for the Toyota Highlander, which saw them on a one of a kind road trip across the USA to try and reach the Superbowl among other things, comes this ad for Lipton Tea (#BeMoreTea).
In a New York City full of Animals – yes, every single last inhabitant looks just like Animal, complete with the adorably raucous Muppet’s amusing lack of the usual social skills – and it’s up to Kermit and Miss Piggy to find bliss where they can.
Naturally it involves Lipton Tea and even a nod to Midnight Cowboy as Jeff Beer of fastcocreate notes:
“There’s also an underlying Midnight Cowboy vibe, thanks to “Everybody’s Talkin'” and THAT line. Here’s hoping the movie doesn’t end with Rizzo croaking on a bus.”
Some may quail at all the commercial tie-ups but honestly they’re being so well, and with much creativity and The Muppets-style goofy pun-laden quirkiness, that I say bring ’em on!
If anyone can make ads fun again, it’s Kermit and his loveably chaotic gang.
Muppets Most Wanted opens in theatres on March 21 in USA and April 10 in Australia.
And to get us even more in the mood, Disney have just released the opening number for the movie, a bright, tuneful, amusingly satirical number called “We’re Doing a Sequel” which beautifully recaptures the goofy fun of the first movie.
It’s a joy to watch and will have you grinning from ear to ear, furry or not.
Wocka wocka wocka!