Star Wars Franchise and its Out of This World Merchandising

Introduction to Star Wars Franchise and Merchandising

Star Wars is an epic science fiction movie series that has become a global phenomenon over the past 40 years. The original Star Wars trilogy (released between 1977 and 1983) remains one of the highest-grossing film franchises of all time, with more than $4 billion in box office receipts. The franchise has spawned an extensive media franchise called the Star Wars Expanded Universe including books, television series, computer and video games, and comic books. The Star Wars franchise was acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 2012. The Star Wars franchise is one of the most successful franchises in the world. It is one of the top 10 highest-grossing franchises of all time, with a sprawling universe that includes films, books, comics, video games, toys, and more. People have spent billions of dollars on Star Wars merchandise over the years, and they are likely to continue spending as long as new movies are released.

Merchandising of Star Wars Universe

A merchandise line for the film was released in the United States the year after the film's release. It was a marketing and merchandising effort unprecedented in Hollywood history, with an estimated $50 million in tie-in merchandise offered. The marketing and merchandising campaign also made its mark in the social and cultural aspects of the country. In addition to the expected action figures and other toys inspired by the film, apparel for both children and adults, drinking glasses, posters, books, and other collectibles were available for purchase. The merchandise for the film was manufactured by a wide range of companies and products were released under a wide variety of labels. Some of the well-known companies who were granted a license to produce Star Wars-themed products included the Gillette Company (razors), the Ford Motor Company (cars), the Coca-Cola Company (soft drinks), and the American Express Company (credit cards).

The Return of the Jedi

The merchandise for The Return of the Jedi became available during the Christmas season of 1982. While wide-ranging, the new merchandise differed somewhat from the merchandise released for the first film. The action figures, which were the most popular item associated with the first film's merchandise, were fewer in number than in the previous film but became one of the major items associated with The Return of the Jedi. The dolls, which were a significant part of the first film's merchandise, were virtually absent from the second film's line and were substituted by other items. The new merchandise, which was produced by many of the same companies that produced the merchandise for the first film, also included a wide variety of clothing, toys, sporting goods, food items, and other products. The two most popular items associated with The Return of the Jedi were a wide variety of clothing and food products.

The Phantom Menace: The Rise of Darth Vader

The merchandise for The Phantom Menace (released in May 1999) differed from that of the first two films in that it concentrated on a wider variety of products, including more types of clothing, sporting goods, and collectibles, as well as action figures and dolls. The most popular item, as in the previous two films, was clothing, with a wide variety of styles available. A few different toys, such as a remote-controlled model Yoda, were also produced. The only other collectibles produced were a series of figurines and a few trading cards. Although there were fewer types of products produced, they, nevertheless, generated as much revenue as the merchandise for the first two films combined. As with The Phantom Menace, the merchandise released for Attack of the Clones (released in May 2002) included a wide variety of products, including a variety of clothing (which accounted for the majority of products released), toys, and collectibles.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Star Wars franchise is one of the most successful franchises in the world. It is one of the top 10 highest-grossing franchises of all time, with a sprawling universe that includes films, books, comics, video games, toys, and more. People have spent billions of dollars on Star Wars merchandise over the years, and they are likely to continue spending as long as new movies are released. Also, all the Disney spin-offs are today generating not only renewed interest but massive sales in merchandise revenue.