Page 31 - ATD 05September,2015

PEOPLE & ARTS A31
Disney unveils Star Wars toys amid marketing blitz
BREE FOWLER
RYAN NAKASHIMA
AP Technology Writers
NEW YORK (AP) — The re-
lease of the new Star Wars
movie may still be months
off, but Disney is unleashing Wars movie since Episode III a non-partisan group of re-
its full marketing “Force”
behind the launch of hun-
dreds of toys and other
items related to the film.
The massive marketing blitz,
which Disney has named
“Force Friday,” spans all
kinds of media and includ-
ed an 18-hour global “un-
boxing” streamed live on
YouTube. Meanwhile, ma-
jor toy retailers around the
world opened their doors
and held special events
when the toys first became
available just after midnight upwards of $500 million big rush on Friday, then an-
Friday. Among the first cit-
ies was Hong Kong with toy
stores open at midnight.
The marketing push behind
“Star Wars: Episode VII - The
Force Awakens,” is unique
because it’s so far ahead
of the movie’s U.S. release,
116 days to be exact. But
analysts say it can work be-
cause Star Wars is such a
popular franchise.
Leaked images of action
figures of characters that
have not even hit the big
screen — like Sarco Plank,
some kind of alien desert
nomad that has only been
glimpsed in a Vanity Fair
on-set shoot — are only
likely to fuel consumer de-
mand, says Steve Pasierb,
CEO of the Toy Industry As-
sociation.
“It’s pretty rare, but in the
age of social media, you
can get those charac-
ters out and create buzz
around these things in ways
that you couldn’t in the
past,” Pasierb says. “There’s
something easy to tap
into, which is the Star Wars
mystique which is some 30
years old.”
Industry analysts at Piper-
Jaffrey say they expect
some $3 billion worth of Star
Wars merchandise will be
sold this year and that sales
next year could be even
larger.
Even in a non-movie year,
Star Wars merchandise has
consistently sold well — $2
billion annually around
the world, according to
Pasierb. So it’s not so far-
fetched that Disney will
Saturday 5 September 2015

exceed that in the public- While it isn’t paying the
ity-blitz filled weeks ahead stars — other than travel
of premiere of the first Star and expenses — it’s hardly
in 2005. viewers. The finale in San
Walt Disney Co. is fanning Francisco was hosted by
the flames of its Lucasfilm Chris Pirillo, a self-described
unit by making special use super fan who named his
of the network of YouTube daughter Jedi.
talent that it acquired when Toy makers both big and
it bought Maker Studios for small are gearing up for a
last year. It arranged for other wave of sales as the
14 Maker stars around the holiday shopping season
globe to open new mer- gets going and the movie’s
chandise in live Web videos Dec. 18 release date draws
starting Wednesday after- closer. Hasbro Inc., which
noon. The event included has been making Star Wars This Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015 photo shows Sphero’s BB-8 droid toy
a splashy special appear- toys for more than 30 years, in New York. The BB-8 is controlled with a smartphone or tablet
ance Thursday morning on planned to unveil more app and responds to basic voice commands such as “wake
“Good Morning America,” than 100 different items Fri- up,” and “look around.” It’s just under 5-inches tall and makes
the variety news program day. cute little Droid sounds reminiscent of R2-D2.
of Disney-owned ABC. “There’s a new generation
Associated Press
mini version of the BB-8
droid featured in the new
movie.
In the movie, the BB-8 is kind
of like an updated version
of R2-D2. It’s a giant rolling
sphere, with a traditional
droid head that somehow
manages to stay on top.
The mini version created
by Sphero moves much the
same way.
Officially unveiled Thurs-
day, the BB-8 had gener-
ated significant buzz by
Friday morning. Numerous
videos were posted to Twit-
ter and the droid was fea-
tured prominently in “Force
Friday” email ads from re-
tailers such as Bed Bath &
Beyond Inc. and Barnes &
Noble Inc.
Star Wars fans shop at a toy store at midnight in Hong Kong, Friday, Sept. 4, 2015 as part of the Developing and producing
global event called “Force Friday” to release new Star Wars toys and other merchandise of the its BB-8 used up the major-
new movie “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. ity of Sphero’s resources for
this year. But the company,
Associated Press which has received fund-
ing from Disney, expects
A Star Wars decorated Dodge Charger modeled after a First Or- of boys and girls who are that investment to pay off
der Stormtrooper Car is seen near a First Order Stormtrooper Car going to be brought in who for years to come.
toy in a warehouse Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015, in Paterson, N.J. may not even be aware Other toys coming out in-
of Star Wars yet,” says Joe clude Toronto-based Spin
Associated Press Ninivaggi, Hasbro’s senior Master Corp.’s “Legendary
brand manager for Star Yoda,” a 16-inch version of
Wars. the Jedi Master that boasts
The Pawtucket, Rhode Is- lifelike movements and
land-based toy maker’s of- voice recognition. It’s yours
ferings include Furbacca, for $180.
a Chewbacca version of Fuhu, which makes the
its Furby toy. It’s also selling nabi tablet computer for
several different versions of kids, has created $170 Star
lightsabers that feature the Wars-themed accessory
glowing daggers notice- bundles that include a new
able in the movie’s pre- 7-inch table. They come
views. with sound effects, themed
Sphero, a Boulder, Colora- wallpapers and stickers de-
do-based robot maker and signed to let kids customize
one of the first members of their tablets.q
Disney’s Techstars program
for startups, created a $150