Disney's Punny Team Up With Solo Cup for the Next 'Star Wars' Movie Is a Good Reminder That George Lucas Made Millions on LicensingThe more experienced entity doesn't always know best.
ByNina Zipkin•
The Disney marketing team never stops. With the opening ofA Wrinkle in Timethis weekend following the behemoth that isBlack Panther, the studio is now turning its attention to the film they hope will be its next big success,独奏:《星球大战》的故事, the origin story of everyone's favorite space smuggler.
In 2016, thanks to the success of theThe Force AwakensandRogue One, people all over the world spent a total of$262.9 billionon licensed merchandise. So It's not surprising that many brands want in on theStar Warsbusiness. This promotional cycle is no exception, withbrandsincluding Denny's, Esurance, General Mills, Nissan, Symantec Corp, and you guessed it, Solo cups.
It was only a matter of time, folks.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi了超过13亿美元在全球的办公室ce, and the folks at Disney and LucasFilm are clearly hoping that their return to the past will be a billion-dollar bet. But even if the movie, which has had its share of creative upheaval behind the scenes, isn't quite the hit that they want, they can pretty much guarantee that as ever, there will be fans who won't buy just tickets but also the licensed merchandise.
Related:Star Wars: The Last Jedi Has Some Important Business Insights for Entrepreneurs
As the franchise returns to its original characters, more so than lightsabers and the Force, we should all remember thatStar Warscreator George Lucas's legacy is really for being a savvy businessman. Ahead of the firstStar Warsfilm being released in 1977 on May 25 -- the same day thatSolois going to arrive into theaters, because they are nothing if not meticulous over at Disney -- Lucas famously made adealwith his wary distributor 20th Century Fox.
The studio would get $500,000 of his directorial salary, and in return, Lucas would get the merchandising rights to the entire franchise. And the rest is Luke Skywalker sheets and Chewbacca mugs history.
It just goes to show that if you see something that the seemingly more experienced party you're negotiating with doesn't, pursue it. You never know what kind of dividends you could receive from trusting that something will resonate with an audience.
