Shanghai Disney Resort has announced that they are entering a new alliance with Skechers. Together, they have created the special “Shi-Kechers” branding exclusively for the upcoming animal-themed Zootopia land.
Shanghai Disney Resort and SKECHERS jointly announced today that the two brands had entered into a multi-year resort alliance, seeing the leading sports brand become an official participant of the resort. As part of the new alliance, SKECHERS will enjoy multiple brand presences across a number of events and locations at Shanghai Disney Resort, including at Shanghai Disneyland’s most anticipated expansion project to date – the upcoming Zootopia-themed land, where their animal-inspired branding “SHI-KECHERS” will premiere. The all-new SHI-KECHERS logo, featuring a lion’s tail and mane in keeping with the theming of the new land, was also unveiled today, having been specially designed for SKECHERS by the Walt Disney Imagineering Shanghai team.
“Disney is well-known for its creativity and storytelling, two points that are clearly reflected in every aspect of our guest experience, including in the offerings we jointly develop with our alliance partners,” said Joe Schott, President and General Manager, Shanghai Disney Resort. “We are excited to expand upon our well-established alliance with SKECHERS, through which, we will continue to promote healthy lifestyles among our guests, while also delivering even more innovative and immersive experiences – especially with the debut of the SHI-KECHERS brand appearing in the Zootopia-themed land when it opens.”
The resort alliance between Shanghai Disney Resort and SKECHERS has grown and developed from SKECHERS’ participation in the Disney Inspiration Run – a family-friendly running event held at the resort since 2018. The new alliance will continue to see SKECHERS involved as the presenting participant for one of the Disney Inspiration Run events each year during the alliance period, promoting healthy lifestyles and providing high-quality themed sports apparel for all runners.
Under the new alliance, SKECHERS will also enjoy an increased presence across Shanghai Disney Resort, including in Shanghai Disneyland’s eighth land, themed to Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Oscar-winning Zootopia. In this unique mammalian metropolis, SKECHERS will transform into SHI-KECHERS, and its iconic logo will be slightly modified to feature a lion’s tail and mane – echoing the Chinese character for “lion” in its new name. The specially designed name and logo will be seamlessly integrated with Zootopia, helping to immerse guests in the highly anticipated new land.
Earlier this month, SKECHERS launched a series of co-branded merchandise in the form of fashionable performance wear. The new products feature the mouse that started it all, Mickey Mouse, and are currently available for purchase exclusively in the SKECHERS store in Disneytown.
The alliance will also see SKECHERS’ presence extend from Disneytown to Wishing Star Park, where a new running track featuring mile-markers and useful tips from SKECHERS is set to launch next spring.
“We are thrilled about the numerous and varied collaboration opportunities with Shanghai Disney Resort, from promoting healthy lifestyles through the Disney Inspiration Run and training tips provided in Wishing Star Park, to entertaining and immersing guests in the upcoming Zootopia-themed land,” said Willie Tan, CEO of SKECHERS China, South Korea and Southeast Asia. “We are also extremely pleased to help extend the Disney magic beyond the resort with the launch of our co-branded merchandise products for guests to wear in their daily lives.”
Zootopia will be Shanghai Disneyland’s first major expansion, and the park’s eighth themed land. Its major new attraction will “seamlessly blend Disney storytelling and state-of-the-art technology to bring this fan-favorite movie and its characters to life”, according to Disney Parks Blog. In November, Shanghai Disneyland shared some of the construction progress on the land.