Retailers Embrace 'Force Friday'

Walt Disney Co.’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” might not hit theaters until Dec. 18, but the company began stoking buzz months earlier by designating Sept. 4 “Force Friday” and using the date to release a slew of new toys, collectibles, games and other licensed products tied to the movie.The result was a Black Friday-style marketing event, with major retailers striving to stand out through a mix of exclusive SKUs, events and digital activity.Walmart held midnight events at 2,900 stores across the U.S., allowing shoppers a chance to purchase the new products including exclusives such as Topps’ Star Wars Galactic Connexions game and a Star Wars character figure for Disney Interactive Studios’ “Disney Infinity 3.0” video game. More than 500 new Star Wars products were rolled out to stores, with thousands of others offered online on a dedicated Web page within Walmart.com.Force Friday wasn’t just a boon for mass merchants. Petco used its exclusive licensing deal with Walt Disney Co. to introduce new pet toys. Shoppers attending Walmart’s Force Friday events received a free two-pack of Star Wars Galactic Connexions game discs, with four shoppers receiving a special disc redeemable for a 14-karat gold game piece and a Star Wars room makeover. TV spots, online display ads on Family.Disney.com, a leaderboard ad in a Sept. 4 email, Aug. 28 circular features, multiple YouTube videos and Twitter updates also supported the event.Walmart also used the occasion to launch its holiday layaway program on Aug. 28, two weeks earlier than last year, so the service would be available to shoppers purchasing Star Wars merchandise. The company lowered the price for eligible items to $10 (from $15 in 2014) with a $50 minimum basket. Counter cards, shelf tags, endcap headers and standees promote the program in stores, with Facebook and Twitter updates supporting.Channel rival Target opened about 200 of its 1,799 stores at midnight on Sept. 4 for the event, spotlighting an exclusive toy from Hasbro through endcap displays in stores and Facebook and Twitter updates that day.Target also promoted the event in stores with conveyor belt decals mimicking the film franchise’s signature opening crawl (via Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Handstand Innovations), ceiling signs, audio-enhanced standees and window clings encouraging shoppers to “use The Force” to open sliding doors.The mass merchant continued to drum up support for the film’s merchandise by hosting a “Share the Force” event on Sept. 5 that incorporated toy demonstrations, photo opportunities and giveaways of Star Wars- and Target-branded lunch boxes. Consumers were also encouraged to share their favorite Star Wars memories on a promotional microsite (SharetheForce.Target.com). Standees, ceiling signs and window clings using a #ShareTheForce hashtag promoted the effort in stores. A YouTube video supported the effort.Licensed SKUs from Nestle’s Coffee-Mate, Kraft Heinz Co.’s Kraft and Campbell Soup Co.’s flagship brand depicting Star Wars characters have also received prominent placement in Target stores, the latter two positioned together on an endcap employing a “limited time only” message.Midwestern mass merchant Meijer used a promotional page within its website to host a countdown to the event, which gave way to a countdown to the film’s release after Sept. 4. The page also hosts the film’s trailers, a catalogue of licensed products spanning toys, apparel, home decor, packaged food and drink, and personal care products.Elsewhere on the page, a collection of themed recipes such as “crunchy sabers” and “mac & cheese galaxy tacos” incorporate private-label products and SKUs from Kraft Heinz. All stores hosted a “Taste of the Galaxy” sampling event spotlighting those recipes from noon to 5 p.m. on Sept. 4.Meijer also promoted the new SKUs with a four-page newspaper insert on Sept. 6. All Meijer stores are open 24 hours, though 12 locations held special events at 11 p.m. Sept. 3 including giveaways, themed snacks and cooking demonstrations. Facebook and Twitter updates supported the effort.Force Friday wasn’t just a boon for mass merchants. Petco used its exclusive licensing deal with Walt Disney Co. to introduce new pet toys. In stores, the five new SKUs are merchandised along with other items from Petco’s “Star Wars Pet Fans Collection” on gondolas employing a “The Force is strong with you and your pet” message. Petco previously released new Star Wars SKUs in May and August and plans to continue introducing more through January 2016. The SKUs released in August were previewed in July at Comic-Con International: San Diego.The retailer kicked off marketing on Sept. 3 with Facebook and Twitter updates and a home page banner ad linking to a Star Wars e-commerce showcase within Petco.com. A Sept. 4 email blast promoted toys only available on the retailer’s website and encouraged shoppers to share pictures of their pets wearing Star Wars apparel using a #StarWarsPets hashtag.

Retailers Embrace 'Force Friday'

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