It is no secret that when Hollywood senses that it might have a blockbuster on its hands it tends to throw everything into promoting it to fans. If it is a franchise that has captured the public imagination then the efforts are even more frenzied. Franchises such as Star Wars and the various cinematic creations that take place in the Marvel universe are two prime examples of this approach. The fact of the matter is that the public tends to be extremely loyal to these franchises and creating that extra bit of excitement with film merchandise certainly seems to pay off.
But these focused and intensive marketing campaigns have a knock-on effect. They increase the demand for movie merchandise to the point where some of the rarer merchandise can fetch astronomical figures on the open market or when auctioned off on sites such as eBay. But it is the run of the mill merchandise which often has the biggest impact on film fans. Often when new Disney films or film sequels are released, more new merchandise gets released in stores worldwide. Merchandise is not only limited to clothes and accessories but also includes links to the food and drink industry too. Fast-food chains like McDonald’s often get involved in promoting film releases through new toys that are introduced in Happy Meals. Another well-known brand that is regularly involved in new releases is Coca-Cola.
Over the years, popular films have also been transformed into video games and mobile games. Recently, Spider-Man was released on Playstation 4 and was a huge hit with both film and gaming fans. Many mobile slot games have also taken inspiration from popular films and film characters such as the ‘Thor’s Lightning’ game on pinkcasino.co.uk. Whether fans are playing on mobile or desktop, there are many film-related casino games to play including all-time favourites such as Ghostbusters, Batman, Resident Evil, and many more.
However, one of the most popular types of merchandise for films are the toys. Whether you are a fan of Star Wars, Marvel super-heroes, or Disney princesses, the number of film-related toys selling worldwide is huge. Since the debut of the first Star Wars in 1977, the franchise has sold billions of pounds worth of toys. Plush toys, action figures, dolls, licensing agreements for board games – the list goes on and on. Another big seller for film merchandise is clothing, where branded hoodies, t-shirts, and even shoes are released in many stores around the world. Many popular film characters have been featured on t-shirts including Batman and Harry Potter.
In short, film merchandising is a marketing strategy that is here to stay and given that it touches almost every facet of modern life it is almost inescapable. Many retail stores and game developers join in on the film craze and learn more about what their customers will love in film merchandise. Whether it’s a toy of a popular character or a t-shirt quoting a famous film scene, film merchandise is a big market that continues to grow and one that is still as popular as ever.