Lucky Charms. Adidas. Pottery Barn. The force of strained Star Wars marketing tie-ins is strong with these brands. Less than a month before the premiere of the much anticipated Star Wars: The Force Awakens, you can't escape brands everywhere touting “limited editions” of their everyday products tied to the new film. Kraft is selling mac-n-cheese with pasta shaped like popular Star Wars characters, which actually seems like it would take a little bit of work. Other brands are simply changing their packaging to include a Star Wars logo.
None of this is surprising. Movie merch is big business, and the original Star Wars trilogy practically invented the practice. But the size and scope of this effort is something to behold. Disney already is leveraging its mastery of corporate synergy to make sure no form of media escape the tractor beam. Plastering Star Wars logos on products means you can't escape the movie anywhere in the known world. Because of Star Wars' popularity, brands need the movie more than the movie needs them. (Ticket pre-sales already zoomed past $50 million a month before the film was to premiere.) The force known as Star Wars is with us, and it feels like it will be—always.
