Proving that Disney is deploying all of its considerable assets in utilizing and promoting Star Wars in the run-up to the release of Star Wars:  The Force Awakens in December (when will we see the ESPN special?), a rolling global unboxing event leading up to the Force Friday merch release will feature the biggest stars from Maker Studios, the online video studio that Disney acquired last year. 

Maker Studios is the largest content network on YouTube, attracting over 10 billion views per month.  Its stars, including EvanTubeHD, Bratayley, Expcaseros, AlexBy11, and Chris Pirillo, will unbox different Star Wars toys in fifteen events on September 3, the day before Force Friday, all live streamed on the Star Wars YouTube channel over an eighteen hour period. 

The first event will take place in Sydney, Australia at 9:45 ET September 2.  Events  will be held in Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong, then swing to France, Spain, Germany, England, Brazil, New York, Toronto, Chicago, and Mexico City.  The series will wrap up with Pirillo in San Francisco at Lucasfilm at 11 a.m. ET on September 3. 

Star Wars commentators Anthony Carboni and Andi Gutierrez will host the event from the YouTube Space in Los Angeles.

Then 13 hours later, at midnight, Force Friday, September 4, the official release day for the first wave of Star Wars:  The Force Awakens merchandise, will kick off with midnight openings at major retailers including Toys R Us, Walmart, and Target, with exclusive products and giveaways (see “Major Retailers Prepare for ‘Star Wars’ Force Friday”). 

This is starting to feel like it’s going to be a bump to GDP by the time it’s over.