The Mystery of the Ruby Shoes
A TOTALLY OZSOME ADVENTURE IN THE WONDERFUL LAND OF OZ
About Ruby Shoes Studio
Creating the Vision
In 1980 when I openned my design studio in the Boston area, I wanted a name that would differenciate my brand from the competition. Most of the the other studios and agencys at that time were named after the principal designer(s)which made them sound like law firms. I wanted my design work to create an emotional connection with the audiences so I wanted a name that reflected my creative vision for the studio.
The Ruby Slippers - The Magical Power
For me the Ruby Slippers have always been the quintesential american icon synonymous with magic and power. As a young woman who owned my own business I identified strongly with the message of enpowerment they represented. So I modernized Ruby Slippers by changing "slippers" to "shoes" and Ruby Shoes Studio, became a reality.
For 18 years Ruby Shoes Studio (RSS) created dazzling images, powerful messages and innovative products delivering impressive result for a wide variety of national clients. As much as I loved having the studio, there were times when my entrepreneurial spirit would call to me. From the begining of my career I longed to create and design my own product line.
As my business experience gained momentum my vision for the Studio evolved. It be came clear to me that I could transform Ruby Shoes into a brand that could empower girls by exemplifing the magic that acting on their own personal power would give them.
Today most girls still tend to undervalue and overlook their own power and capabilities, even though they are as close as the shoes on their feet.
When Glinda told to Dorothy, she always had the power to go back to Kansas, she was really telling her that she has the power and ability to achieve her goals and make her dreams come true. That pretty much summed up my vision for the Ruby Shoes brand nicely.
A Spark Ignites
One morning as I sat in my car stuck in traffic as usual, a simple thought grew out of my frustration. If only I had the ruby slippers, I could just put them on, click three time and instanly get anywhere I wanted to go.
Suddenly a short honk from the driver behind me broke the silence signaling me to get moving. As I continued on my way, I found myself immersed in a barrage of ideas and thoughts around what I would do if I somehow gained possesion of the magic slippers.
From A Simple Thought...
I don't remember how I got to work that day; I must have been on autopilot because the next thing I realized was I had pulled into the studio parking lot. Dizzy with excitement the ideas continued to come to me through out the day. It was a difficult to stay focused on work, but somehow I got through it.
My next step was to rough out a draft for the storyline. The outline practically wrote itself. By the end of the week I had twenty chapters blocked out with several new characters who could easily be developed into their own stories should The Mystery of the Ruby Shoes find success and a strong fan base.
As new ideas continued to emerge my product development skills kicked in. Before long I had product concepts for a series of character dolls, fantasy doll clothes and accessories, whimsical animal companions, interactive play sets and an interactive game concept.
A Client Shows Interest
I presented my toy and doll concept drawings and mock-ups to one of my clients, who also happened to be one of the largest toy companies in the U.S. They were very interested and optioned the dolls and play sets for three months while they considered the tooling, production and marketing costs required to introduce and launch a multi-faceted product line.
An American Fairytale Inspires A modern Adventure
We had several discussions and touch point calls during the option phase, and they continued to be excited about the possibilities, but as they completed their due diligence they started to have concerns about the high cost associated with introducing and producing a program of this size without the benefit of a movie launch to kick it off.
As experts in character licensing deals, they offered to set up a meeting in Hollywood with Warner Bros., who at the time held the copyright on the original Wizard of OZ. We had high hopes that The Mystery of the Ruby Shoes, and it’s association to the Wizard of OZ, along with a toy licensing deal on the table would get us serious consideration.
Together we flew out to pitch the concept to see if WB would be interested in producing a movie or TV series based on The Mystery of the Ruby Shoes. My client had a long-standing relationship with them having partnered together in many successful movie character-licensing programs over the years.
We both felt confident that The Mystery of the Ruby Shoes, and it’s association to the every popular classic Wizard of OZ, along with a major toy licensing deal would seriously be considered by Warner Bros .
"Timing is Everthing"
We had no way of knowing at the time, was that they were about to re-release the original Wizard of Oz back into theaters with a girls clothing line to follow. They actually hoped my client might be interested in licensing the original movie characters for the movies relaunch.
On to Plan B
My client suggested I adapt the story into a screenplay encouraging me to get an agent and shop it around. They expressed their continued interest in partnering with on the toy licensing should I land a publishing and/or production deal.
I took the advice and found an enthusiastic agent. We took the manuscript and program concepts to several publishers, production studios and toy companies all of who had varying levels of interested in the project.
In the end I still needed three components to come together to make my vision a reality. Each company wanted someone else to take the first step before they would sign on to their piece of the puzzle. I found myself at an impasse. So, with a heavy hear I put it away for a while to regroup and figure what to do next.
"Life happens while you're busy making other plans.
In the mean time life took a few crazy turns leaving the story and production concepts sitting on the shelf for 15 years. Over the years I would pull out the materials to remind myself it was still waiting for me to take that next step. Finally a few months ago I was inspired by my daughter Angelica to update the story and publish it as an interactive website with a message of empowerment that could help girls battling the insidieous and currently pervasive problem of bullying.This really hit a nerve with me as my beautiful daughter Angelica is in the process of healing from an horrific case of bullying.
Angelica Donelan
A Special Message From Angelica
Technology paves the way
With the advances in technology and social media and my enhanced skills with interactive design, I was at a point where I could take it to the next level myself. So, the timing is right to finally take that next step, update the story, and launch the web site. It is my hope it will help to empower girls, build self-esteem and arm them with the
self awareness it takes to combat bulling.
With the advent of social media that supports an opportunity for users to remain anonomous, bullying has gone viral becoming a national epidemic that easily goes unnoticed by parents and teachers. Schools today may hang banners declaring "Bully Free Zone" leaving the majority of their administrators clueless with regard to recogonizng it let alone preventing or stopping it.
We are leaving our daughters unprepared to fend for themselves. Too many girls struggle in silence to overcome the horrific realities and emotional scars associated with the relational aggression they can fall victim to. It is no longer just limited to the school yard, with the advent of soicial media it is now a 24/7 reality for the victim.
Relational Aggression = Mean Girls Syndrome
When you think of school bullying, you probably think of pushing, shoving, hitting and kicking. This type of bullying is known as physical bullying or direct bullying. But there’s a much more insidious type of bullying that often goes unnoticed by parents and teachers. This type of bullying is known as relational aggression. Sometimes referred to as emotional bullying or the mean girl phenomenon, relational aggression involves social manipulation such as excluding others from a group, spreading rumors, breaking confidences and getting others to dislike another person or risk shunning.
In general, girls tend to be more relationally aggressive than boys, especially during the tween and teen years. It is especially intense among girls in fifth grade through eighth grade. What makes for a funny movie starring Lindsey Lohan is not the least bit amusing when you are the focus of it.
Empower our Daughters
Relational Aggression is sometimes called “mean girls syndrome.” It is often used to describe the way girls bully and abuse each other using psychological and emotional methods. Relational aggression is typically associated with pre-teen and teenage girls who are more manipulative, less overt in their bullying tactics. They are more likely to use popularity as a disguise for their very aggressive psychological attacks on other girls. Since relational aggression does not leave behind any physical proof, it is much easier to get away with doing it.