Puns are great. (Who doesn’t love puns?) However, I never expected one to garner so much attention that it actually became its own holiday.
Then came Star Wars Day (or “May the 4th Be With You” Day). And while it isn’t an official holiday, there are so many fans that celebrate every year that it could fool anyone.
Even big brands take advantage of this popular pun. Last year, brands like Oreo, Mountain Dew, Vans, Spotify, and even Hormel Bacon got in on the marketing action.
Whether to sell a product, service, or just create brand visibility, a plethora of brands used the force on Twitter for #StarWarsDay 2015. In fact, there were so many that participated this year that I had to use the power of the Jedi just to narrow it down.
Without further ado, here are the top 9 brands that used the Force to attack the world with their marketing:
1. Hootsuite
#IfStarWarsHadTwitter R2D2 would Tweet in full emojis, #C3PO would go over 140 characters #StarWarsDay pic.twitter.com/dXDf4PqNUM
— Hootsuite (@hootsuite) May 4, 2015
The cuteness factor in this image alone should explain why Hootsuite is on the list.
Hootsuite really nailed the Star Wars Marketing on its head – redesigning their logo, creating their own hashtag (#IfStarWarsHadTwitter), and even incorporating a video involving their logo as a mascot – they did it all.
And they did it well.
2. Verizon Wireless
Our Jawas stand at the feet of an AT-AT carrying hundreds of galactic tourists. #CaptureTheDroid #StarWarsDay #NYC pic.twitter.com/rloST6fC4b
— Verizon Wireless USA (@VerizonWireless) May 4, 2015
For some reason, I was surprised to see Verizon Wireless as active in #StarWarsDay as they were. All of their tweets were advertising their #CaptureTheDroid campaign.
Rather than simply sharing the #StarWarsDay or #Maythe4thBeWithYou hashtags in their tweets, they designed their own interactive campaign that involved a custom hashtag. Verizon went so far as to print out posters and place them around NYC in anticipation for their campaign that debuted early on May 4th.
3. PacSun
Another brand that started tweeting preemptively was PacSun, who teamed up with Disney and Lucasfilm for a Star Wars themed clothing collection.
The force is strong with this one. Get the new #StarWarsxOTB for #starwarsday! @starwars http://t.co/FMJcCsjxXw pic.twitter.com/ZY2FnlQ26n
— PacSun (@PacSun) May 4, 2015
What better day to release the new line than on Star Wars day?
4. StumbleUpon
From dawn ‘til dusk, StumbleUpon spent their day actively tweeting anything and everything Star Wars to keep up with the trending #StarWarsDay hashtag.
Although they didn’t incorporate their logo into anything Star Wars-related, or come up with their own creative campaign, they certainly understood the importance of participating in the May 4th celebration to get their blog articles shared.
Not only did they include modern news, like Hot Wheels dropping a Darth Vader car, but they also included original concept art to indulge hardcore fans.
Creative Bloq used the same approached and is certainly worthy of a mention, too.
5. GoDaddy
Meet your fellow allies of the #SmallBizForce and read their epic journeys to awesomeness. https://t.co/WpFcv5r6hZ https://t.co/u8IvFvUYyP
— GoDaddy (@GoDaddy) May 1, 2015
GoDaddy’s original hashtag (#SmallBizForce) might not have been an interactive activity like Verizon’s, but it certainly deserves an honorable mention.
Not only was May 4th (unofficially) Star Wars Day, it was also the official first day of National Small Business Week. GoDaddy recognized this and cleverly mixed the two “holidays” together in their #SmallBizForce campaign.
They wanted to give a proper shout out to small businesses, and want you to “join the alliance.”
6. Honey Maid
Remember how I said Hootsuite’s campaign could top them all with its cuteness? Well, Honey Maid might take the pot.
The best line a villain has ever delivered—retold by a 12-year-old. #MayThe4thBeWithYou https://t.co/ePxWUcoXki
— Honey Maid (@HoneyMaidSnacks) May 4, 2015
Honey Maid found an intelligent and enthusiastic 12-year-old Star Wars fan to retell the famous story lines for their new Honey Maid Star Wars crackers campaign – and no one could retell it better.
7. eHarmony
#StarWars is one big love story. Let us help you start your own. http://t.co/FfG3nKJTpa #Maythe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/9u2ZYIcgsv
— eHarmony (@eHarmony) May 4, 2015
They might not have tried very hard to create a Star Wars campaign, or even bothered to use the hashtags in their tweets all day, but everyone needs a laugh – so I had to share eHarmony’s #Maythe4thBeWithYou tweet.
8. Amazon
Oh, Amazon, we can count on you for everything – even participating in #StarWarsDay.
Solid #StarWarsDay game, @amazon http://t.co/TLvr4jNFJc pic.twitter.com/JKy2DgP83U
— Mike Murphy (@mcwm) May 4, 2015
“Solid #StarWarsDay game,” is right! Amazon has given Star Wars collectors and fans their own Amazon page.
9. Good Morning America
Not every tweet from Good Morning America was about Star Wars Day (in their defense, they do have to report the news, too). But they did take the time to recognize this “holiday” with plenty of tweets that saw hundreds of favorites and retweets.
@GMA Couldn’t have said it better! That tweet is now on my @RebelMouse pic.twitter.com/5wmHtD9QhZ http://t.co/RF1MkQqarN
— tookthecollar (@tookthecollar) May 5, 2015
I’m sure that many other have already had thought of this, but Good Morning America tweeted a great point – why don’t we keep on celebrating Star Wars for one more day?! Or better yet, keep it going throughout May 6th for Revenge of the Sixth!
So, how is it that Disney – who recently purchased Lucasfilm and has a Star Wars movie coming out this year – didn’t make this list?
Honestly, I feel a little disappointed that Disney only managed a single tweet throughout the whole day.
This was, perhaps, their downfall. In the words of Obi-Wan, “I have to admit that without the [tweets] it would have not been a victory.”
Twitter (and other social media) has made it quite easy for brands to keep up with what their audience is interested in. The trending hashtags on May 4th were the perfect opportunity for brands to connect to their Star Wars-loving customers and design a (usually) free marketing campaign to amplify their marketing.
Did I miss any awesome or hilarious Star Wars Day marketing? Share them in the comments below!
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