Get ready for a galaxy of licensing as Disney has announced which companies it will be partnering with to promote ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ and vice versa. Marketing in conjunction with a ‘Star Wars’ film can be tricky, as there can obviously be no product placement in the film itself. (Although that would be hilarious!) And in this case, the actors from the movie will not pop up in ads. However, many of the ads will be produced by Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light & Magic, to maintain cohesion with the look and feel of the film.
Disney’s Senior Vice President of Global Marketing Partnerships and Promotions, Lylle Breier stated:
“We wanted for this last chapter in the saga to go and get really best-in-class companies. It’s a great creative challenge and is one of the things that’s important is choosing the right brands that will really step it up and so it feels integrated. It feels celebratory and it works organically so you never say, ‘Boy why is that company partnering with Star Wars?’ We want it to feel seamless.”
Porsche will use ‘Star Wars’ in its promotion of its first fully electric car, the 2020 Porsche Taycan. United Airlines “will debut a special aircraft design in celebration of the conclusion of the Skywalker saga.” Bose “will provide audio augmented reality experiences through the official Star Wars app.” McDonald’s will offer ‘Star Wars’ Happy Meals, with 16 different toys. General Mills will offer codes on their cereal boxes which, when unlocked, will prompt the company to make a donation to Feeding America. Other companies that are partnering with ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ are Samsung Mobile, Dannon, and GE appliances.
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These are just advertising partners. That doesn’t include licensing. Hasbro and LEGO will continue producing toys based on this movie, and expect ‘Rise of Skywalker’ to appear on clothing, posters, decor, kids’ bedding, and whatever else Disney can find to slap the brand on.
The advertising partnerships are expected to go live on November 1. ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ will appear in theaters on December 20, 2019.
What products sound the most exciting to you?
Source: Entertainment Weekly
