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Lucas created the current form of merchandising. But Walt Disney himself was the first to mass license a popular character. Mickey Mouse was appearing on everything shortly after he appeared.
Before Lucas pre-release merchandise was reserved for television series. It was seen as marketing and if a show was a success it could be on the shelves for years. Lucas was the first to use this approach for a single film.
I wonder what would have happened if Walt Disney had been still alive when Lucas pitched it to the studio? Walt was a forward thinker. I think he would have seen the potential in Star Wars and Lucas himself.
Lucas was really the guy who started related merchandise (clothes, toys, kitchen ware, etc), and Disney mastered the art so in that sense this is a match made in heaven.
Lucas created the current form of merchandising. But Walt Disney himself was the first to mass license a popular character. Mickey Mouse was appearing on everything shortly after he appeared.
Before Lucas pre-release merchandise was reserved for television series. It was seen as marketing and if a show was a success it could be on the shelves for years. Lucas was the first to use this approach for a single film.
I wonder what would have happened if Walt Disney had been still alive when Lucas pitched it to the studio? Walt was a forward thinker. I think he would have seen the potential in Star Wars and Lucas himself.