First, let me start by saying that the below article is my thoughts and opinion only and is sourced from various articles from across the web, including Wikipedia!

For full transparency, I should also let you know that my wife is actually a mad Star Wars fan. I am originally a Trekkie which made for some fun conversations in our house, but I have learnt to appreciate and enjoy the franchise and even respect it.

Ok, with that out of the way, let’s go back to 1977 and the marvel of Star Wars, the movie, which later was retitled to Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.

Picture it, 1976 saw the rise of movies like Rocky, the remake of King Kong, Taxi Driver a controversial cop movie and a horror, the Omen.
Skip to 1977, and we are still following cop movie successes with the release of Smokey and the Bandit, then movie goers were blessed with a global phenomenon the sci-fi epic Star Wars on 25th of May 1977, which revolutionised the genre.

But why was Star Wars so popular?

Apart from an amazing storyline about good vs evil with relatable heroes and villains, viewers were treated to superb storytelling and advancements in movie special effects.
But think about it… how do you portray all of this in 1977? Advertising is limited to most paper-based mediums like newspapers and magazines. TV was increasing in popularity with colour sets available, but with a price tag of around $1,000 ($8,000+ in today’s value) not everyone could afford one.

So how did the first Star Wars movie market itself to audiences?

Well, this was an interesting and innovative method for its time and something that helped to shape not just the marketing of a movie but also created a following that drove moviegoers to cinemas. Earning approximately $755 million at the worldwide box office, the franchise held the title for the highest-grossing film until the release of E.T.

The marketing looked to be very well planned out. (See where we are going with this)

Despite the fact that the studio was not confident the movie was going to be a success, George Lucas and the studio released a six-issue comic book adaptation of A New Hope by Marvel Comics.
Spearheaded by writer Roy Thomas and artist Howard Chaykin, the series was first published in April of 1977 before the film’s release and concluded with the 6th issue release in December 1977.

George also sold merchandising rights to Kenner Products for, I believe, about $100K. The figurines and toys, which were on sale in 1978, were so popular that they began the line with the “Early Bird Certificate Package” during Christmas 1977 due to production delays.

So, despite the movie launching in 1977, there were action figures and comics to set the scene and to get the ‘back story’ in front of people and create the hype.

As we all know, the movie became a trilogy, due to the success of the first movie, and ultimately is today a cult classic.

Star Wars didn’t just change cinema. It changed how films are marketed, how brands tell stories, and how fandom is cultivated.