After months of anticipation from fans of all ages, the big moment is finally here: Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters this week. Target’s been helping guests get ready for the film’s arrival with our Share the Force campaign. Through interactive digital experiences, live events, and hot products, we’re bringing Star Wars fans’ memories to life and showing the world how we’re all connected by the Force.
“Target is a huge fan of Star Wars, so we wanted to create memorable experiences for fans in a way that only Target can,” says Scott Nygaard, senior vice president, Merchandising, Target. “While we have hundreds of products across multiple categories, one toy is already stealing the show—our Target-exclusive Remote Control BB-8 by Hasbro. The little droid with a big personality is a runaway hit, and shaping up to be a top-seller.” In fact, you’ll even see BB-8 and other fan-favorite characters pop up in our Holiday Odyssey TV spots.
With fans gearing up for the film’s world premiere in Los Angeles, we hosted the Target & Star Wars Galactic Experience at L.A. LIVE. The event, which was open to the public Dec. 12 and 13, featured four domes with interactive Star Wars experiences, photo ops with Darth Vader and other characters, a pop up shop and more.
First stop: The Galactic History Dome, where fans got a close look at rare collectibles and artifacts from Rancho Obi-Wan, the world’s largest private collection of Star Wars memorabilia. Among the pieces on display—action figures dating back to the original 1977 film release, character masks, models of a Star Destroyer and Sandcrawler, and life-sized statues of C-3PO and R2D2.
In the LEGO Builders Dome, kids pieced together bricks to help LEGO Master Builders assemble a sculpture of a TIE Fighter that appears in the new film.
In the Use the Force Dome, fans got a once-in-a-lifetime chance to train with the power of the Force (really!) with the help of some digital magic. Donning a Jedi robe, participants used an iPad and connected headband to move a ball around an obstacle course with their mind.
In the Galaxy Show Dome, families took a virtual adventure through space as they watched a light show projected on the ceiling, featuring favorite characters’ portraits rendered in stars, with X-Wings and TIE Fighters zooming in and out of lightspeed. Visitors received special bracelets that lit up and interacted with the visuals and music.
Throughout the event, fans had close encounters with Jedi Knights, Darth Vader, his Stormtroopers and Imperial Guard, and even Target’s beloved mascot, Bullseye.
As thousands of visitors posted their shots on social media using hashtag #ShareTheForce, the Target team printed out the photos and assembled them mosaic-style to create an image of the new movie poster.
Looking for more Star Wars fun? Visit SharetheForce.com and share your favorite Star Wars memory, and check out Target’s assortment of Star Wars gear. This holiday season, you can also check out Star Wars products and experiences featured at Target Wonderland in New York City.
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