Star Wars fans excited about release of new merchandise
Companies reaching out to fan girls with new products including clothing, makeup
Health teacher Teresa Delgado shows off her collection of Star Wars merchandise at a recent Geek Force meeting.
November 12, 2015
Toys, t-shirts, and assorted merchandise of all types — even engagement rings — that pay homage to the upcoming Star Wars film are filling store shelves, surrounding customers like all present “force” from the films.
The flood of Star Wars merchandise began this summer when film director J.J. Abrams released the trailer for the seventh film of the franchise Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Now that fans are excited about the first new installment in seven years, they have been scavenging stores and the Internet for anything that is Star Wars related.
According to marketing researchers, Star Wars related merchandise sales are expected to generate $3 billion to $5 bil- lion dollars this year.
What makes this film release different than many others is that companies are making an effort to market products spe- cifically to girls and women, demographic groups that are often ignored by the adventure film industry.
Kohls has made a big effort marketing Star Wars products to girls and women and CoverGirl has created a line of Star Wars themed makeup.
The new release of Star Wars films is helping bridge a generation gap between fans of the original films from the 1970s and 1980s. Geek Force sponsor Teresa Delgado said she is thrilled to see the current generation getting excited about something she has loved since her childhood.
“Yes I’m very excited for that movie,” Jordan Shearer said. “Probably I bought two or three shirts already and thinking of buying new lightsabers like from the new villains who has the crossguard lightsaber thing.”
Shearer said he is excited to see how Luke Skywalker is portrayed in the new Star Wars films.
“I’m really interesting in seeing if Luke will be in a major part of it and he seems probably powerful and so I’m wonder if they’re going to betray Luke and he worried about the dark side, obvious training a new apprentice.”
Delgado said she is an avid collector of
various “fandoms” for franchises such as Star Wars, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.
“I like being surrounded by things that
make me happy and so when I see this stuff it automatically makes me smile,” she said.
