The Walt Disney Company has just unveiled a new verse to "It's a Small World," celebrating the song's 60th anniversary and paying tribute to its songwriters, the Sherman Brothers, with a short film.
Made in partnership with creative agency adam&eveDDB, "The Last Verse" premiered on ABC News Studio on Wednesday night as part of a two-hour documentary event, "The Untold Story of Mary Poppins: A Special Edition of 20/20."
Also marking 60 years since the iconic film "Mary Poppins" was released, the documentary highlights many of the Academy Award-winning songs and scores of the Sherman Brothers, Robert and Richard.
The Sherman Brothers wrote several songs for "Mary Poppins," including "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and "Chim Chim Cher-ee."
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Titled "The Last Verse," the new "It's a Small World" video was directed by 95-time Cannes Lion winner Henry Alex Rubin.
It introduces a brand-new final verse written by Richard Sherman, which he shared with Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger in 2023 before his death in May 2024.
In a statement, Iger emphasized the massive impact that the Sherman brothers and their music have made on pop culture over the last century:
"Hearing Richard Sherman recite the final verse to 'It's a Small World' before he died will be a moment I will carry with me forever.
This beautiful short film is our tribute to their immeasurable musical contributions, their memory, and to the countless memories they helped create for generations of people around the world."
Fans can watch the short on Disney+, YouTube, and social media.
For over 100 years, the Disney name has been synonymous with childhood wonder and making dreams come true.
With this latest retrospective, Disney doubles down on its brand values, tapping into emotions and nostalgia to create content that resonates with its audience.
Disney's touching tribute to the Sherman Brothers also humanizes the global legacy brand, allowing it to connect on a deeper and more emotional level with its audience.
A More Relevant 'Last Verse'
The heartwarming short film begins with a walk through a hallway lined with old photos, zeroing in on a photo of the Sherman Brothers.
A few clips of old Disney footage show Walt Disney introducing the Sherman Brothers, and the 1964 New York World's Fair where "It's a Small World" was first introduced.
The song begins to play as a montage of people, mostly children, from all over the world, in different periods sing lines of the song.
A van of hippies in the 60s, a punk rock band playing to a moshing audience, and an astronaut in outer space are just some of the characters in the film.
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The song builds to a crescendo, ending the montage with videos of Disneyland as the scene shifts back to the old halls of a Disney studio.
In a room off to the side, a piano sits in a corner with a piece of paper containing the final verse of the song.
The film ends with the voice of a young child, who sings the song over visuals of a tribute to the Sherman Brothers.
Disney is known for its emotional storytelling that has the power to connect with and drive a positive message home for both adults and children.
Earlier this month, Disney released a new original short, an entertaining yet touching brand film for the holidays, directed by Taika Waititi.
