Star Wars is known for being groundbreaking in the world of science fiction films, but the franchise was just as influential in the toy industry.
Having toys be based on movies was a new concept in the 1970s, and George Lucas quickly became a pioneer of the movement when he realized he could make toys modeled after his film’s concept art.
The Origin Story
The concept of film-themed toys was so new, in fact, that every major toy company rejected working with Lucas when he first approached them with his idea. He eventually met with Kenner Products, a smaller toy company that was then owned by General Mills, and a deal had finally been made.
The problem, however, was that the company didn’t anticipate Star Wars being such a huge success, which meant it was highly unprepared for the toy demand that followed the film’s May 1977 release. The company instantly ran out of merchandise and wasn’t even caught up by Christmas of that year.
While workers were able to churn out easy-to-make products like board games and puzzles for the holidays, they had no action figures available. But by that point, the film had become the highest-grossing movie of all time, so the demand was high.
The company decided to sell what it dubbed the “Early Bird Certificate” package, which was essentially just an empty box with the promise of new toys to fill it with by the following spring. Kids were able to fill out their certificate to guarantee that they’d be the first to receive the highly coveted action figures, including Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, R2-D2, and C3PO.
By the time the Star Wars toys were actually available, it had been almost an entire year since the film had first hit theaters. But that didn’t stop the merchandise from flying off the shelves, clueing other production companies into the power of movie-themed toys.
The Industry Impact
Not only did Star Wars help launch the concept of using movie toys as a marketing campaign, but it also influenced how some toys were made altogether.
The industry standard for action figures had always been 12 inches, but Kenner broke the mold by making them three and three-quarter inches in height. Legend has it that when toy-industry mogul Bernard Loomis was asked how tall the Luke figure should be, he just stuck his large hand out and extended his thumb and forefinger, and the new size was born.
The toys not only influenced the size of action figures, but it started a trend in collecting the memorabilia as well. Soon, not only were children looking to get their hands on the merch, but adults were just as excited. The original Star Wars toys are still highly sought after and can be worth a lot of money.
The franchise also brought about the rebirth of the Lego bricks business in 1999 when it launched Star Wars Legos to coincide with the release of The Phantom Menace. This was the first time the Lego brand teamed up with a movie or TV series, marking yet another trend created by Star Wars.
So the next time you see a toy for a new Pixar film or Avengers movie, remember that the idea was first born in a galaxy far, far away.
