Imagine having two major annual occasions within a week of each other and not connecting them from a marketing perspective.
Sounds to me like a massive missed opportunity for brands.
I mean, hot cross buns hit stores the week after Christmas while people are still in holiday mode – so why haven’t Star Wars Day and Mother’s Day – which are within a week of each other – ever been connected?
Big mistake. Huge.
May 4th every year is a very auspicious day, in Australia and internationally. It’s Star Wars Day – because it’s May 4th (fourth) – which fans associate with the iconic line “May the Force be with you.”
From social media posts, to special deals and product releases for the occasion, it’s also a big day for many brands.
But even though it’s less than week away from Mother’s Day, no one’s figured it out: a lot of women, especially those of us old enough to be mums, are Star Wars fans, too.
Nama Winston wants Star Wars merch on Mother’s Day, just like dads get on their day. Image: supplied
So where’s the Star Wars merch for mums?
Yes, with Star Wars, licensing terms with Disney would need to be considered.
But for Father’s Day every year, they manage to do it. You just have to see any marketing around the day and you’ll have an, ahem, galaxy full of Darth Vader socks and Chewy mugs. Pens that double as mini light sabres. Phone cases with Hans Solo’s (Harrison Ford) face on them.
Why does this super cool stuff get promoted for dads, but not mums?
As someone who’s been buying her own Mother’s Day gifts for 18 years, it’s disappointing.
Maybe evil Darth Vader wants it that way… because he is (spoiler alert) a dad, after all.
From a brands perspective, it feels like a double standard. Chicks (who are often mums) dig Star Wars, too.
I don’t need a mug that says World’s Best Mum – even if it is true. I need another The Empire Strikes Back water bottle, because someone (most likely a woman!) swiped mine from the office kitchen.
And not a girly Princess Lei-printed one – give me the OG manly beast – Jabba the Hutt. These days, he’s the character I relate to the most.
Top image: Nama Winston