Telling a Story with Your Brand
When it comes to recognizable brands, the beginning of May belongs to Star Wars. With two days dedicated to the series, May the Fourth and Revenge of the Fifth, and a growing movement to claim the entire month for This is the May, this is a great time to cover how telling your business’s story with your brand is done, and why it’s important.
The Star Wars story starts in 1977 with an up and coming auteur by the name of George Lucas, and his revolutionary vision for how he would approach a creative property. Pulling inspiration from such diverse materials as Joseph Campbell’s metamyth to Akira Kurosawa’s films depicting historical Japan to write the story “Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope”, Lucas crafted a lived-in world of a far off galaxy. With the story, he brought a new idea about the ownership of merchandising.
Before George Lucas arrived on the scene, movie merchandise generally went to advertising corporations, who would market things that, while somewhat linked with the associated property, weren’t generally popular. One example is the “Spock Helmet” associated with the original Star Trek series, or the even less relatable Star Trek Astro-Helmet. What Lucas imagined was completely different.
Lucas replaced this old model with a plan aimed at the young audience of the time. Capturing their imagination with an amazing world of heroic mysticism, charming scoundrels, epic villains and one mold-breaking princess, Star Wars merchandising was largely made up of toys that let kids immerse themselves in the Star Wars story and live out their fantasies as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Leia Organa.
The multi-million dollar merchandising empire that arose, as well as the far-reaching pop culture influence of the story and its setting, not to mention the revolutionary special effects studio that birthed some of the first computer-aided special effects, belonged entirely to George Lucas. No modern property has eclipsed it in its influence or reach.
The story of the success of Star Wars in the market demonstrates the importance of telling your story through branding. With its trademark struggle between good and evil, using tried and true symbolism and palettes, Star Wars provides a fast, easy, engaging way to invest in the property in a deeply personal way.
Rosie’s Creative celebrates May the Fourth and the Revenge of the Fifth in spirit and in practice. We recognize the value of telling a story through your brand, expressing your core values and showing how you fulfill your philosophy every day. Let us help you find the symbols, words and communication styles that build the identity you want. Remember – your first consultation is always free!
And may the Force be with you!