Ahsoka—the latest Star Wars Disney+ series—premiered past week and with it arrived a great deal of fanfare. Part a single of the series, Learn and Apprentice, was the most-viewed title on Disney+ this previous 7 days, notching 14 million views.
It can make sense why. Ahsoka Tano—the titular character and double lightsaber wielding Jedi of the series—is one particular of the most popular characters from the galaxy significantly, far away. Ever since her debut as Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan apprentice in 2008’s The Clone Wars, Ahsoka has built a great deal of admirers alongside the way as a beloved feminine hero.
With the new live-motion collection starring Rosario Dawson placing the character entrance and center, we requested Brittney Todd—Disney’s VP of Marketing and advertising Strategy—and Kyle Rodri—VP of Inventive Advertising—how they marketed the new series to not only grow the Star Wars universe but introduce Ahsoka to complete new galaxy of enthusiasts.
Star Wars is 1 of the most beloved models. The name Star Wars itself is a promoting device. With Ahsoka, how do you use the model to market the collection?
Brittney: Lucasfilm and Star Wars has built such a robust manufacturer and standing. Just viewing the Lucasfilm and Star Wars name stirs all these thoughts and nostalgia, and it is definitely just about using care of that and recognizing that people today have these memories—these core memories—that are connected to the brand name. You have to go into it recognizing that people really feel so close to this story, and it is just about keeping that prime of thoughts with every little thing that you do from starting to conclude. Ahsoka just falls in that planet but figuring out that people today really feel genuinely related to this universe is anything we have to be informed of in the course of almost everything we do on the job.
Kyle: Clearly, these filmmakers have crafted a story that is new, and so you just cannot relaxation on what we’ve completed in the previous. I assume we have to set up that this is an event that is below to excite admirers. I imagine followers have earned to know that a character like this—which has experienced these a extended heritage in animation—is acquiring her own series. And I think that the occasion nature of it warrants a advertising marketing campaign that is specific to it.
Ahsoka is established all over a woman character. In fact, various feminine people. How does that effects the internet marketing approach around it?
Brittney: I think that females have normally been a element of the Star Wars galaxy. They’ve often been a element of the stories that Lucasfilm and Star Wars have advised. But definitely getting centered in this tale, I feel is a little something which is been really special and anything that we want to be able to celebrate in all of our advertising. Not essentially pivot from anything at all that we’ve carried out in the earlier or thoroughly go outside the house of what we would do for the Star Wars fandom, but truly be able to celebrate it as an possibility to carry in some new fans and probably obtain some new champions for the series as well.
Ahsoka Tano is a person of the most well known characters in Star Wars record. Does that make it hard to tell her tale to lovers in Ahsoka?
Brittney: At any time you are working with a character which is beloved, perfectly identified, has a background and a relationship, it just will take that additional little bit of care. And you have to just take that into thing to consider in anything at all that you’re carrying out in the marketing and advertising realm. You want to make positive that you have those Easter eggs. You don’t spoil everything. You hold it thrilling for the persons that are currently individuals main followers, but then also presenting an option for somebody new who is maybe on the exterior.
Kyle: Also, I feel at this level the character has acquired this degree of focus in the series and in the internet marketing.
Why is it essential to develop the Star Wars brand name to folks who may not by now be followers? And how does Ahsoka aid that bring about?
Brittney: It goes without having saying that it will enable the fandom to dwell on. It’s a actually multi-generational assets. It’s great to be able to establish some thing that is heading to necessarily mean a thing so specific to audiences of a certain era and now have an possibility to provide in a new generation that will expand that very same appreciate and affinity. I imagine it is important for us to carry in an audience of a youthful era so that we can construct on that fantastic storytelling which is been now set for us. Ahsoka is just the future story in that legacy.
Kyle: Star Wars has permeated society. It’s transcended no matter whether you know who Darth Vader is or not. We can all relate in some way to the people in the stories. We know that Star Wars—as a marketing term—is “for all people.” If you are a supporter of motion, if you’re a admirer of science fiction, we have that, but also if you’re a fan of storytelling. It echoes our working day-to-working day marriage. These stories, in particular these series, are really drilled down into the intimacy of the people. For me, that will make it sense like this galaxy that is significantly, significantly absent is essentially nearer than we imagine. We also have to try to remember it’s a galaxy. There are a multitude of stories, and you never always need to know all of them to be capable to relate to what ever you come across. You can appear in to Ahsoka and fully grasp that it is a standalone tale. You never have to have any preconceived notions of the past. So—for me—people that may not by now be fans, I consider there’s a large possibility to deliver them in.
