“Frozen” Is Being Used to Sell Pretty Much Anything

With Disney’s Frozen breezing past Iron Man 3 to become the fifth biggest box-office hit of all time, it’s no wonder that companies everywhere are scrambling to hitch a ride on its coattails: unofficial collectibles have been flying off shelves ever since fans realized that trying to purchase a Disney-marketed version was futile. But it’s not just toy companies who have found a niche in the frenzied market of Frozen chaos…. It’s everyone.

Take, for example, realtor Jason Haber. The broker had been watching with disappointment as a three-bedroom, $5.25 million duplex he was trying to move sat idly for nearly four months when he came up with the idea to utilize the film’s massive success to his advantage. And so he did the only reasonable thing to do: he dropped the price and bought a bunch of cardboard cutouts of Elsa and Olaf to host a Frozen-themed open house. The event was announced through cheesetastic invites using borrowed song titles: “Let It Go in this amazing condo townhouse. For the First Time In Forever you will discover a fully renovated 3 bedroom home.” Not forced or pandering enough for you? How about, “Do You Want to Build a Snowman? You can, all winter long in the garden.”

Haber is insistent that it’s working. In a statement to Curbed.com, he says “I have a two and a half year old daughter that runs around my apartment singing ‘let it go; all day long. So she was my inspiration for this idea! … Since the price drop we’ve had so many requests to show it. I imagine it will move soon.”

He isn’t alone. Other organizations, too, have taken a cue from the Disney hit. Here are five special-edition commodities that caught our eye:

1. Frozen themed suite at the Hotel De Glace in Quebec

This unique hotel first opened its doors in 2001 and remains, to this day, the only ice-hotel in North America. The building, which is made up of metal framing and ice walls up to four feet thick, houses only frozen furniture (with a super-comfy wooden plank added onto the bed frame). Its creation was strictly supervised by Frozen art director Michael Giaimo who modeled the rooms after Elsa and Anna. If you’re up for freezing your butt off in a bed inspired by a fictional character, then by all means look into it for next season.

2. Bottled Water

Okay, it’s not exactly bottled water, just customized stickers for said bottled water. That’s right: for the low price of $3.99, you can download “Melted Snowman” labels for your child’s birthday party! Because what kid doesn’t want a plastic bottle filled with tepid water as a party favor? While I applaud the idea as cute, it’s about on par with those bags of mini-marshmallows labeled “Snowman Poop” that my grandma used to give me at Christmas. I’m seven, grandma, not stupid.

3. Engagement rings

…Or basically anything to do with weddings. I’ll admit, this one is sort of ingenious: a lot of women grew up wanting to be Disney princesses, so why not capitalize on that notion by offering themed weddings, apparel or accessories? Many designers, including Disney itself, have been slowly allowing “princess” gowns to seep into the market over the past decade or so and the jewelers have finally caught wind of their achievements. For the price of $1,660, you can own an Anna-inspired engagement ring. You’re more of an Elsa? They’ve got you covered: priced at $1,455, even I was drooling over this stunner.

4. Prom dresses

Let’s face it: a lot of girls are more excited about finding a prom dress than they are about finding a date to the dance… which is absolutely fine. If I were a teenager, there’s no way I would pass up the opportunity to squeeze into one of the sequined princess dresses that began cropping up in the wake of the Frozen phenomenon. These Elsa inspired gowns flew off the rack during prom season and for good reason. While they’re not always dead ringers for the original, they still carry the elaborate theme of the movie well enough to keep that magic alive. It’s like visiting the Princess Makeover Boutique at Disneyland all over again.

5. Norway. Yes, the country.

It seems even entire nations want in on the Disney sensation. “Disney’s Frozen – Inspired by Norway,” reads one promotional ad for the country. “The nature and culture of Norway inspired the setting for Disney’s magical adventure Frozen, complete with ice and snow, castles, mountains and fjords.” Hear that? It’s practically Arendelle! In fact, you’ll most likely meet many talking snowmen and ice-queens while you’re there! What are you waiting for? Disney, meanwhile, has begun offering its own Norwegian adventure as well, promising a walk “in the filmmaker’s footsteps as you hike, raft and traverse the awe-inspiring terrain” of Bryggen, the historic town that served as a model for Arendelle.

So how long will these themed goodies last? And will there be as big of a rush when the purported stage production hits theaters in a few years? Whatever the case, it seems likely that everyone and their dog will continue to ride the Frozen wave until the pandemonium dies down… or hell freezes over. Whichever comes first.

Featured image via Disney Movies. Images via, via, via, via, via, via.