Lucasfilm continue their look at fascinating artifacts from their vast archives as they reveal this incredible seal, designed as part of a promotional campaign for the original Willow back in late 1988 which was the first major push Lucasfilm had made for a film since the original trilogy, their home video releases and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984.
Employees at Lucasfilm’s San Francisco office have a long tradition of leaving any unwanted items that might enjoy a second life in one of the company’s kitchens, which are often frequented several times a day. Items from our long history are occasionally found, including posters, promotional material, and giveaway items.
One such item discovered in 2017, though, didn’t match the usual fare — an odd metal stamp engraved with a vaguely familiar symbol that didn’t seem to fit any kind of modern use. Intrigued, one employee plucked it from the pile and dropped it into a desk drawer, where it laid forgotten for the next five years.
Fast-forward to 2022, with the new Willow series playing on Disney+ and several Lucasfilm offices readying for a move to a new floor, the stamp was rediscovered — and this time recognized for what it was: a symbol matching the one on Elora Danan’s arm!
By an amazing coincidence, many storage closets were also being emptied for the move, and one of them contained an item that revealed the full answer to the mystery — a 1987 invitation from Lucasfilm and Tonka Toys to attend an early Willow promotional presentation, emblazoned with a red wax seal stamped with Elora’s symbol. Mystery solved!
The discovery of the invitation provides some clues to the early campaign around the Willow feature, which included Tonka, the film’s primary toy licensee. Collectors may recall that Tonka (now part of Hasbro) released static miniature character figures available individually or in sets in 1988, as well as a large Eborsisk dragon toy, which today has become a rare collectible. This partnership, as well as the other licensing agreements made for Willow, represented the first major licensing effort for Lucasfilm following the original Star Wars trilogy era. While the Willow campaign was not as robust as those from Star Wars, it did set the stage for more formal campaign launches to come, namely the company’s licensing summits.
Stay tuned to the site for our review of the latest episode of Willow later this week here on Fantha Tracks.
- Lucasfilm Ltd (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 192 Pages - 06/12/1988 (Publication Date) - Del Rey (Publisher)
