If you ask my co-workers, friends, family, and social media followers, you will find out it’s no secret I am an insane Star Wars fan. With Star Wars: The Last Jedi hitting theaters today, I thought it would be a forceful idea to write about them in our weekly ENX2 Marketing blog. But, what in the galaxy would I write about?
My super fan passion for Jedi and Sith alike? Maybe. Why the prequel trilogy served a purpose rather than being regarded as trash? Possibly. I can rant on and on about the ever-expanding universe that George Lucas created, but I want to focus on a topic that’s relevant to marketing while also having a little bit of fun along the way.
Star Wars Marketing Campaigns Have Stood the Test of Time
For nearly 40 decades, the Star Wars franchise has captivated audiences across the globe. In terms of the box office, films have pulled in more than three billion dollars with much more coming in the days and weeks ahead with the release of The Last Jedi.
The first film in the franchise, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, changed marketing forever. It ignited a fanbase that has led to the Lucasfilm empire to sell $20 billion worth of goods over the years. This film started a brand that has now become one of, if not the world’s, most powerful brands.
With that being said, the franchise consistently finds themselves ranked in the top five licensed toy brands every year. If you look closely enough, hundreds, if not thousands, of companies harness the power of the Star Wars brand. From Kraft Macaroni and Cheese to Under Armour and Google to Covergirl, no stone has been unturned.
Below, I have compiled a list of different social media campaigns that brands across the globe have used to incorporate Star Wars into their consumer outreach. Each description describes one of the five pictures:
- Starbucks: The giant coffee company used dueling lightsabers as straws in the below-pictured tweet.
- Nissan: The international automobile manufacture rhymed their “Juke” with “Luke” [Skywalker] in the middle-picture tweet.
- Hootsuite: The social media management platform used their tweet as a way to showcase what Star Wars characters would say if they had Twitter.
- Totino’s Pizza Rolls: This company spoofed the franchise’s opening crawl with their product information on the left-pictured tweet.
- Windows: This company simply made light of one of the most iconic moments in the franchise’s history.
These examples showcase how using Star Wars can be a transformative tool in your marketing campaign. It sucks people in. If you’re not a fan, you know someone who is. That’s how big Star Wars is. It’s consuming consumers but in the best way possible. It not only makes money for its own brand but makes money for all brands associated. Linking your marketing strategies with one of the most beloved movie franchises of all time can be a great plan if you are looking to freshen or breathe new life into your digital tactics.
Why We Love Star Wars
The advent of Star Wars marks the beginning of mega-movie marketing, according to experts. This means merchandising outpaces box office sales. George Lucas even said this in a 1980 Rolling Stone interview: “Well, when I was writing I had had visions of R2-D2 mugs and little wind-up robots, but I thought that would be the end of it.”
His vision came true, and it couldn’t be more obvious. Stars Wars is not just a movie franchise, it’s a phenomenon. Fans, partly due to the insane amount of merchandising, advertising, and marketing, are heavily invested in the franchise.
Many people who watched the films when they were children in the 1980s have passed their viewing experiences and pleasures to their children. Star Wars is generational and relatable. I partly think this happens because it makes people feel young again, and you don’t have to worry about the terrors going on in the world. It brings people together on the same plane as sporting events and patriotism.
As for Me…
(Don’t worry, no spoilers here)
I am fresh off my viewing of the saga’s latest film, and all I can say is WOW! It’s a cinematic masterpiece that will have you speechless at moments. I will not lie, I am going to see it a few more times in theaters just to wrap my head around it. It’s that good.
Before I rant on and spill the beans, remember this: You don’t have to travel to a galaxy far, far away to improve your digital marketing. All you or your business needs to do is contact the team of marketing experts at ENX2 Marketing.
As always, may the force be with you!