Pixar movies are just as enchanting the first time you watch them as they are the hundredth time, thanks to their touching stories, unforgettable characters, and the fun details meticulously added into every frame. This collection doesn’t focus on the characters in the films but instead imagines a world in which the fictional company logos that appear in these films are real.
Every one of our collaborations with Pixar have been a hit. This season's releases feature unique designs that draw on details from the films that viewers may have overlooked. Jen Tan, creative director for consumer products at Pixar Animation Studios, says, “A lot of times we work on products featuring the characters, but what’s special about this collection is that we’re using small details that still hold so much meaning. The filmmakers put a lot of work and heart into even the smallest detail that you’ll see for less than a second in the background.” These details include the logos of fictional stores and corporations that you won’t find outside of the films—and Tan hopes that this collaboration with UT will give these world-building elements the opportunity to really shine.
Jen Tan, creative director for consumer products at Pixar Animation Studios
The simple designs will remind fans of these beloved stories and let them feel the thrill of stepping into the world of Pixar—one could easily imagine, for example, buying the Monsters, Inc. T-shirt directly from the eponymous corporation.
“These characters may not exist in real life; they may be monsters or talking cars, but so much energy is put into making these characters and the worlds they live in believable,” says Tan. “These T-shirts help bring them to our world.” Although Pixar’s movies invite viewers to leave the house and go on incredible adventures, for now we hope you’ll settle for wearing one of these T-shirts during your next at-home Pixar movie viewing to liven up the experience.
TOY STORY
Pizza Planet is the restaurant that Andy visits with his mother in Toy Story. The logo on the front of the T-shirt is taken from the shirts worn by the aliens in the restaurant's claw machine. Did you know the Pizza Planet delivery truck is hidden in the background of almost every Pixar feature film? The colors of the truck inspired the pale yellow background and red font of this T-shirt.
TOY STORY 3
The Tri-County Landfill is the setting for the climax of the third installment in the popular Toy Story series. Fans will remember the scene, in which Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the other toys experience a close call after getting trapped in a garbage truck that takes them to the landfill. Anyone who recognizes this design is sure to be a major Toy Story fan!
MONSTERS, INC.
The monsters at Monsters, Inc. enter the human world to scare children and collect their screams as energy. They include Sulley, the company’s shaggy-blue top scarer, and his one-eyed partner Mike Wazowski. The T-shirt’s design places the company’s logo and motto on a black body—a nod to the film’s opening and end credits, which feature memorable animation that suggests the kinds of things children might imagine seeing in the dark as they try to sleep.
UP
This grape soda bottlecap pin was a present to Carl, the film’s protagonist, from his wife Ellie, and becomes a touching memory of the adventure club they founded as children. Carl continues to wear the pin on his chest even as an old man, until he eventually gives it to Russell, a young boy with whom he goes on a great adventure, as a token of their friendship. When you wear this T-shirt, the pin displayed on your chest, you too will have joined the adventure club!
WALL•E
The robot WALL•E, tasked with cleaning up the piles of trash covering Earth, was created by the Buy n Large corporation, along with almost everything else in the world of the film. The company’s influence is evident in how the BnL logo is seen everywhere on the Axiom, a spaceship carrying humanity while Earth remains a mess. An Easter egg in Toy Story 3 reveals that Buzz Lightyear's batteries were also made by Buy n Large.
CARS
All of the characters in Cars—even the insects and cows—are anthropomorphized vehicles. Rust-eze is a company that makes medicated bumper ointment and is the original sponsor of the protagonist Lightning McQueen. The company's iconic logo is painted on McQueen's body, while the name reflects Pixar's unique sense of humor—who would expect a race car to be rusty?
PROFILE
Jen Tan | As creative director for consumer products at Pixar, Tan works with the directors and character artists involved in the studio’s films to produce tie-in products. She credits her 6-year-old daughter as being her biggest creative inspiration.
©Disney/Pixar
