It has introduced exclusive Star Wars-branded virtual reality viewers which when attached to smartphones provide a 360-degree movie and game experience. Online retailer ShopClues, too, is partaking in the Star Wars action. The products may not be flying off the shelves now but they certainly expect them to-especially lightsabers-after the release of the film, he said. So we see tremendous potential in toys as drivers," said Jeswant R., senior vice-president (sales and marketing), Funskool India Ltd. “Not only will young kids get introduced to the franchise, adult collectors will also be more aware. Toy manufacturer Funskool, which already has a board game licence agreement with Disney, has launched a wide range of products, including the popular lightsabers, action figures, collectibles, role-play toys, construction sets and board games, for the film.
“With our partnership with Disney, we have combined the fervour of the movie with the trust and convenience of buying genuine memorabilia online." “With Star Wars enthusiasts waiting for the film, we decided to give them something special to add on to the excitement," said Samir Kumar, vice-president, category management, Amazon.in. Amazon has also launched a Star Wars-branded shop on its India website which lists Star Wars products. The categories targeted are consumer electronics, accessories and toys. So it seemed like a perfect fit for the brand," said Vineet Gautam, country head, Jack & Jones, India, adding that the recently launched collection will do well when the film is released.Ĭashing in on the hype around the film, online marketplace Amazon is also sending 400,000 units of Star Wars-branded packages to consumers in 25 cities. “Star Wars is an iconic franchise with a lot of following and we’ve always kicked in successful associations with licence products and movie chains like Tom and Jerry. Jack & Jones has worked with Disney India to create a fashion collection featuring classic Star Wars characters such as Jedi master Yoda and bounty hunter Boba Fett. “We launched the franchise in India with a truly innovative year-long marketing campaign, bolstered by a record number of brand associations that provided additional visibility, impact and promotional support to it," Kapur added.īesides the five brands mentioned above, companies which are part of the 50 associations with the classic franchise include apparel brand Jack & Jones, ICICI Bank Ltd and toy and game manufacturer Funskool. Abrams-helmed epic space opera that stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, among others, has already smashed the record for the biggest box office debut weekend globally, with ticket sales of $529 million in its first weekend. “Star Wars has opened to record-shattering box office numbers globally and we are now geared up to give Indian audiences a taste of this modern classic," said Siddharth Roy Kapur, managing director, Disney India. For a film like Star Wars in India, the size of each merchandising deal would be in the range of ₹ 30-35 lakh. A share of revenue accrues to the studio as part of an upfront association fee or based on the sales of the merchandise or both. The merchandise associations, on the other hand, are aimed at product placements either within the film or by bringing out a licensed collection. People familiar with the matter estimate that a film like Star Wars would typically sign these for ₹ 1.5-3 crore each. One involves media commitments where brands ride on the film by associating with it and build awareness through television commercials, on-ground activation, print and digital campaigns.
Film studios usually ink two kinds of brand deals.