We are, at the time of writing, little over a week away from Force Friday II, and Disney’s global merchandise event is so close that we can almost feel the excitement coursing through the Internet.
It’s shaping up to be the biggest one yet, as the Mouse House prepares to launch a suite of new toy products inspired by Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi – perhaps it’ll include the newly-unveiled Dreadnought warship and AT-M6s? We’ll find out very soon.
One way or another, with September 1st almost upon us, Disney and Lucasfilm have today announced an augmented reality treasure hunt called “Find the Force.” And it’s bloody huge. Spanning 20,000 participating locations in 30 countries, the pop-up AR campaign invites fans to snap photos of retail standees featuring the “Find the Force” symbol to gain intel on old Star Wars favorites, such as Ackbar, along with a mysterious new character from The Last Jedi.
Further details on that particularly enticing Easter egg are yet to be revealed, but we imagine Disney has hidden some details on one of the sequel’s new recruits – such as Laura Dern and/or Benicio Del Toro’s characters – and stowed them away as part of this novel AR campaign.
Here’s a screengrab of what to expect:
And though it was by no means the first product to harness AR, there’s no denying that Pokémon Go brought augmented reality to the mainstream last year, so we’re excited to see it incorporated in a Star Wars-themed treasure hunt. To access the three-day AR event, you’ll need to download the official Star Wars app on a compatible iOS or Android device, while the official statement from Kathleen Kennedy, President of Lucasfilm, reads as so:
Force Friday II is a major milestone in the countdown to Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Star Wars has always championed new technology, and we are excited that augmented reality will allow fans to experience the universe in a whole new way.
Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman of Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media, also weighed in on the campaign, stating:
Force Friday II puts fans right at the center of the action using augmented reality to bring our characters to life like never before. The technology theme continues in the Star Wars: The Last Jedi product line, which is our most innovative yet – we can’t wait for fans to see what’s in store.
Force Friday II takes place over the weekend of September 1st. With The Last Jedi looming on the horizon, Rian Johnson’s imminent sequel will naturally receive the biggest merchandise line of the lot, so brace yourself for a flurry of story rumors next weekend. Of course, we’ll have all the latest Star Wars trinkets for you to enjoy here on We Got This Covered – not to mention updates on that fabled Obi-Wan spinoff – so be sure to stay tuned.
