This past week I saw someone say that they believed The Mandalorian and Grogu would fail spectacularly and there reasoning was that there was no promotion or hype out there right now for the film. In short, that’s not how films work anymore, and Star Wars is no exception.
In prior decades, films would begin their hype months or as much as a year out, but this is no longer the case. The entertainment world has changed, and how we consume media has changed with it. The habits of humans have changed. Films now typically begin their promotional campaigns only one month out, and that includes full trailers, posters, billboards, tie-in promotions and merchandise on shelves.
Attention spans are shorter. If we were to see a poster for The Mandalorian and Grogu now, the general public might assume the film is out right now and completely forget about it by the time May comes around.
So, with all this being said, what could the campaign look like for the first Star Wars film in six and a half years? The merchandise for a film is a part of the that promotion too, so what could be in store?
McDonald’s Tie-In
This was confirmed to be happening very late last year and is always a win for any film crossover. It gets kids talking and interested in the product, plus there’s excitement of not knowing what you’ll get in the Happy Meal box. Supposedly arriving late April and running through May.
Everyday Food Promotions
Star Wars has a rich history of tying in with some famous food and drinks brands. Last year saw the arrival of new Coca-Cola cans with some brilliant designs. The point of any promotion is to let the awareness of the film seep into your everyday. What better way to do that than with breakfast cereals, chocolates, crisps, juices…the list is endless. Some of the favourite items in my personal collection remain the 2005 Revenge of the Sith Pringle tubes. It was the first time, as a teenager, I remember thinking “I need to get them all.”
Sticker Books and Trading Cards
Yes, these are still a thing! Sadly here in the UK, high street staple WH Smiths is no more but go down any book/magazine aisle in Asda and you’ll find Panini sticker books. Last year saw the arrival of new sets related to Stranger Things, Stich, Jurassic World: Rebirth and many more. Star Wars hasn’t had a sticker book set since 2018’s Solo, which in my opinion was the best since 2008’s The Clone Wars. As with anything like this, the thrill is the hunt. I have great memories as a kid collecting all the prequel ones. Of course, times have changed. Back then it used to be 25p for a pack of six stickers, sometimes more. Topps have the chance to release a new trading card set here too.
Collectable Giveaways
Here, I’m referring to one the most wonderful promotional tie-ins of all time. It was 2005 Revenge of the Sith Pin collection. Once completed, they would be housed in a stunning book with gorgeous artwork. The idea was that you would have to buy a specific newspaper at a certain time and in their was a voucher with two new characters on. You’d then take this to your local newsagents (remember those?) and then trade your voucher for your two new pins. Bring back something like this, please!
Toys, Toys, Toys!!!
Star Wars and Toys go together like Ant and Dec and Artoo and Threepio, and already we’ve seen plenty of reveals from New York Toy Fair which talkes place this wekeend at the Javiots center in NYC, and there’s more to come – the possibilities are endless. Board games, role play, action figures, playsets, it’s all coming back in 2026, and boy have we missed it.
Most Wanted: Formerly known as Midnight Madness (but should be called Mando Mondays)
For those of us who are old-school, an event like this will always be known as Midnight Madness. At the stroke of midnight, all the new merchandise is available to fans and collectors all at once and it’s a real party. There’s exclusives, giveaways and real sense of excitement surrounding the hype of the film. The last one of these we saw was back in 2019 but by then things had changed dramatically. It was an event to promote; Episode IX, Jedi: Fallen Order and the first season of The Mandalorian. Nothing could top the way it was run in 2005 or even in 2008. Now, Mando Monday writes itself here but asking people to queue up on a Sunday night and into a Monday morning might be a stetch. But what would be nice is perhaps a locked down ‘On Shelves Date’ when collectors can get their hands on the first items. This could be March or even April. It’s all about making it feel like an event and adding to the hype. Besides, any chance to get excited over new toys is a win. I believe we really need something like this in the coming months.
Hopefully, more will be revealed in the coming days as Star Wars finally returns to the silver screen.
