Between the Star Wars saga and merchandising, it’s an old love affair worth billions of dollars. But there are also many drifts and unfortunate creations, not to say lunar…
If there’s one franchise whose merchandising is truly overwhelming, and has been for decades, it’s Star Wars. The sale of derivative products was not exactly a novelty before the arrival of the Space Opera saga of George Lucas. But the latter raised it to a level never before achieved.
For the record, Fox had offered the filmmaker a salary of $500,000 to direct Star Wars. Lucas refused, and asked to maintain his salary at $150,000; the same as what he had touched for American Graffiti. In exchange, he demanded to own the rights to all future Star Wars merchandising; and to hold the rights to any consequences.
Bottom line for George Lucas: Between 1977 and 1978, Star Wars generated over $100 million from toys alone. Since then, revenues generated by merchandising have been counted in the billions of dollars. The first film in the saga alone generates 3 billion dollars a year. If the director has built a technological empire with Lucasfilm, Lucas was also quickly taxed as a toy merchant…
That said, Star Wars licensing has experienced real abuses, not to say downright WTF sometimes. Italians know this: in the 1990s, they had the privilege of fighting plaque and cavities with a Star Wars toothpaste, promoted in a mind-boggling ad featuring a transalpine Luke Skywalker facing off against a Darth Vader taking over on him. But that was before Luke finally used the ad hoc toothpaste/lightsaber to defeat Vader.
Before the takeover of Lucasfilm by Disney, Europe was spoiled, so to speak. For the release of Star Wars – Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Germany was entitled to star wars toilet paperand paper towel rolls.
In Great Britain, the airline Virgin Atlantic took care of its passengers by slipping into the front pocket of their armchair a vomit bag stamped with the jacket of the video game Star Wars – Revenge of the Sith. No, it’s not a joke. The proof here.
Before the 3D release of The Phantom Menace in 2012, France was treated to its all-black Darth Vader Burger concocted by Quick. And of course, just to avoid making anyone jealous, the Jedi Burger…
The Jar Jar Threat
We would be remiss if we forgot a beautiful nugget, released on the occasion of Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace, in the USA. Do you remember the short sequence in the film where Qui-Gon grabbed Jar Jar Binks’ tongue ? Marketing wizards had the idea of making a lollipop outright.
A creation as embarrassing as it is atrocious, which even Mark Hamill has noted.
Do not believe that the sale of Lucasfilm by Lucas to Disney put an end to this lunar merchandising. Mickey’s house had no more moods. In 2015, Americans were able to fill their shopping carts with star wars apple bagsthe same thing but with oranges.
For Star Wars – The Force Awakens, they were able to add to their basket… Lettuce, packed with the reproduction of the little robot BB-8. Yes Yes.
And as long as you stay in the edible department, would you like a fruit for dessert, like this banana for example?
As the Nanarland team said so well, “the worst is never disappointing”…