Topic: Force Friday Events...

[Tamer]

I don't know whey someone didn't start this earlier. This just in from Toys R US:

TOYS“R”US® TO LAUNCH NEW STAR WARS™ SAGA PRODUCTS WITH MIDNIGHT OPENING EVENTS WORLDWIDE

The Next Chapter of the Legendary Franchise Begins at Toys“R”Us Stores Across the Globe on Force Friday, September 4 at 12:01am as Fans Get First Access to New Toys, Exclusive Giveaways and More; Company’s International Flagship Store in Times Square to Host Historic Star Wars Toy Exhibition and Ultimate Midnight Opening Celebration

WAYNE, NJ (August 4, 2015) – Toys“R”Us® is going into hyperdrive and preparing an out-of-this-galaxy, global celebration for the upcoming debut of toys based on the next chapter of the Star Wars™ Saga at 12:01am on Force Friday, September 4. Counting down to the highly anticipated toy launch and this fall’s new theatrical release, Toys“R”Us stores worldwide and Toysrus.com have transformed into Destination: Star Wars, every fan’s retail source for The Force with hundreds of new products, including those only available at Toys“R”Us. On Force Friday, Toys“R”Us stores around the globe will open their doors for special midnight opening festivities, providing customers of all ages the opportunity to be among the first to purchase must-have merchandise, receive exclusive giveaways and immerse themselves in all things Star Wars. The company’s international flagship store, Toys“R”Us Times Square in New York City, will host a historic Star Wars toy exhibition leading up to the grandest midnight opening celebration of all, welcoming legions of eager fans with costumed characters, signing events, giveaways and more all day on Thursday, September 3.

Click to Tweet: .@ToysRUs announces nationwide midnight openings for #ForceFriday & epic #ToysRUsTimesSquare celebration! #DestinationStarWars

“Since the introduction of the first Star Wars toy in 1977, Toys“R”Us has served as the ultimate destination for Star Wars playthings, providing millions of kids and collectors worldwide with their most beloved memorabilia,” said Richard Barry, Executive Vice President, Global Chief Merchandising Officer, Toys“R”Us, Inc. “Since then, Star Wars has become a time-honored franchise with loyal fan interest, making it a perennial, top-selling licensed property. With the upcoming introduction of the new Star Wars toy line, we’re excited to welcome the next generation of fans into our stores around the world with exclusive products, special events, feature shops and giveaways.”

Toys“R”Us to Help Fans Worldwide Build Their Toy Empires

With operations in 38 countries, Toys“R”Us is leveraging its global footprint and position as the toy authority to provide an unprecedented Star Wars experience worldwide. On Force Friday, September 4, Toys“R”Us locations in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the U.K, will open at 12:01am to welcome eager shoppers. The first customers to line up for the big product debut will receive Star Wars giveaways, including an exclusive poster, as well as the chance to be among the first to purchase exclusive Star Wars merchandise in dedicated front-of-store feature shops.

Leading up to Force Friday, stores in each of these countries will count down the minutes to 12:01am on September 4 with digital clocks, as well as Star Wars-themed microsites on each of their respective e-commerce pages. Social media users can follow the company’s worldwide midnight openings on each country’s social media channels, as well as via the Toys“R”Us U.S. Twitter channel, @Toysrus.

Midnight Openings Descend on Destination: Star Wars in the U.S.

When the clock strikes 12:01am on September 4, all Toys“R”Us stores in the U.S. will open their doors, giving customers the opportunity to be among the first to purchase hundreds of new Star Wars playthings, including a wide variety of merchandise they can’t find anywhere else.*As an added bonus, little Jedi Knights and their families attending midnight opening events will have the chance to receive special giveaways, including a limited edition LEGO® Star Wars Commemorative Brick and an exclusive Star Wars poster, while supplies last.** Also at midnight on Force Friday, shoppers will be able to browse and purchase the new products online at Toysrus.com/StarWars.

Those eager to count down to the highly anticipated toy debut can now find digital clocks at all Toys“R”Us locations nationwide and online at Toysrus.com/DestinationStarWars. Beginning on Force Friday, dedicated Star Wars feature shops will be found at the front of all stores nationwide, featuring a combination of figures, construction sets, accessories and more, plus updated countdown clocks reset to tick off the minutes to the release of the new movie.

Additionally, gamers can now preorder Star Wars Battlefront™, the ultimate Star Wars video game experience, along with Disney Infinity 3.0 Star Wars, at Toys“R”Us stores nationwide and online at Toysrus.com/StarWars.

For the latest Destination: Star Wars news and updates, fanatics can follow @ToysRUs on Instagram and Twitter, as well as Facebook.com/Toysrus. Followers are encouraged to post photos of their Star Wars toy empire, themselves dressed in their best Star Wars cosplay and their midnight opening experience, as well as engage with one another and Toys“R”Us using #DestinationStarWars.

The Force is Strong at Toys“R”Us Times Square

The biggest midnight opening celebration will take place at the company’s international flagship store in New York City, Toys“R”Us Times Square, where fans of all ages are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite Star Wars character and take part in dozens of one-of-a-kind activities designed especially for Star Wars aficionados.***

The World’s Greatest Toy Store™ is kicking the party off early with a special exhibition featuring prototypes, originals and early editions of some of the best-known Star Wars toys in the world, curated by Rancho Obi-Wan, Inc., a non-profit museum that houses the Guinness World Record-certified largest collection of Star Wars memorabilia. Presented prominently throughout the store, “Destination: Star Wars – The Experience,” will be on display from Wednesday, August 26 through Monday, September 7 and will feature dozens of notable collectibles based on all six feature films from the Star Wars Saga, including the original first four mail-away action figures from 1978, a large-sized Chewbacca figure in never publicly-released The Empire Strikes Back packaging from Kenner Products and a rare 2003 LEGO Star Wars Cloud City building set.****

The adventure kicks into high gear on Thursday, September 3, when the store hosts Star Wars activities throughout the day, beginning at 9am****, including:

A book signing and meet and greet with Steve Sansweet, Chief Executive Officer and President of Rancho Obi-Wan, Inc., storied Star Wars author and former Head of Fan Relations and Director of Content Management at Lucasfilm Ltd.
An art class and meet and greet with fan-favorite Star Wars and science fiction artist, Jeff Carlisle.
Star Wars product demonstrations and activations throughout the store, including Star Wars-themed 3-D action figure creation with 3D Plus Me, video gaming on Disney Infinity 3.0 Star Wars kiosks and experiencing intergalactic sound on Star Wars-themed headphones powered by SMS Audio.
A LEGO Star Wars make and take for rebels looking to build their toy empire brick by brick.
A Light Saber Academy with members of New York Jedi, a community of cosplayers, martial artists and teachers who share practical stage combat techniques oriented toward Light Sabers.
Photo opportunities with costumed characters, including Furbacca, a character versioned after the Hasbro® toy that makes wookiee sounds like CHEWBACCA, Geoffrey the Giraffe and more.
Ice cream flavors inspired by the Star Wars Saga from Scoops“R”Us™, the flagship store’s in-house ice cream shop located on the Lower Level.
Star Wars-themed cookie decorating at a “Wookiee” Cookie Party on Level 1.
Special giveaways for the first fans in line, including a Collector’s Edition LEGO Star Wars Commemorative Brick, an exclusive, limited edition Star Wars poster and a Star Wars Character Flashlight from JAKKS Pacific.***
Star Wars trivia, a costume contest and a galaxy of excitement and prizes, while supplies last, for those fanatics waiting in line.
A panel discussion with Steve Sansweet and Jeff Carlisle for select lucky fans, which will also be livestreamed via Periscope @Toysrus on Twitter.
The ultimate unveiling of the official Toys“R”Us Times Square Star Wars feature shop at 12:01am on Force Friday, September 4.
To download the official Toys“R”Us “Destination: Star Wars” logo and bios for Steve Sansweet and Jeff Carlisle, please visit: https://toysrus.sharefile.com/d-s5c917e6d20344418

To download high resolution images of the items featured in “Destination: Star Wars – The Exhibition,” please visit: https://toysrus.sharefile.com/d-sa06c44394c345a38

 

*Toys“R”Us stores in the U.S. will open at 12:01am local time on Friday, September 4, except for stores in Paramus, NJ, which have varying store open times due to local ordinances. Toys“R”Us Express and Outlet locations generally follow the hours of their respective shopping centers. All store hours can be found online at www.Toysrus.com/StoreLocator.
**Event open to all ages. Parental supervision required at all times. All giveaways and event materials available while supplies last and distributed to event participants only. Limit one per person. Quantities limited; no rain checks. Giveaway quantities vary by store.       
***Event open to all ages. Parental supervision required at all times. All giveaways and event materials available while supplies last and distributed to event participants only. Limit one per person. Quantities limited; no rain checks.
****Toy enthusiasts can view the entire listing of products featured in “Destination: Star Wars – The Experience” and a full schedule of Toys“R”Us Times Square events, including times, online at the company’s Times Square Store Special Events page.

About Toys“R”Us, Inc.

Toys“R”Us, Inc. is the world’s leading dedicated toy and baby products retailer, offering a differentiated shopping experience through its family of brands. Merchandise is sold in 864 Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us stores in the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam, and in more than 730 international stores and over 240 licensed stores in 37 countries and jurisdictions. In addition, it exclusively operates the legendary FAO Schwarz brand and sells extraordinary toys at FAO.com. With its strong portfolio of e-commerce sites including Toysrus.com, Babiesrus.com and FAO.com, it provides shoppers with a broad online selection of distinctive toy and baby products. Headquartered in Wayne, NJ, Toys“R”Us, Inc. employs approximately 66,000 associates annually worldwide. The company is committed to serving its communities as a caring and reputable neighbor through programs dedicated to keeping kids safe and helping them in times of need. Additional information about Toys“R”Us, Inc. can be found on Toysrusinc.com. Follow Toys“R”Us, Babies“R”Us and FAO Schwarz on Facebook at Facebook.com/Toysrus, Facebook.com/Babiesrus and Facebook.com/FAO and on Twitter at Twitter.com/Toysrus, Twitter.com/Babiesrus and Twitter.com/FAOSchwarz.

STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. © & TM Lucasfilm Ltd.

[Tamer]

Our friends at Yakface get the Walmart Planogram:

http://yakfaceforums.com/main/2015/08/06/walmart-planogram-reveals-3-75-black-series/

[CHEWIE]

Really hoping that's a good sign for the 3.75 SA line... some other interesting labels there that sound like they could be promising!

 

[Tamer]

Really hoping that's a good sign for the 3.75 SA line... some other interesting labels there that sound like they could be promising!

 

Which ones are you thinking will be the SA ones from this gram CHEWIE?

[Tamer]

Part of the Planogram for Toys R Us courtesy of Rebelscum:

http://www.rebelscum.com/photo.asp?image=http://www.rebelscum.com/2015/toys-r-us-star-wars-the-force-awakens-floor-plan-080615.jpg

[JDeck]

    The poachers in my area are probably drooling over this info. Not sure if anything will be left by the time I get off work. Lol. Its that bad around here. All we have here is 6" obi wan Kenobi. I haven't even seen SL figures in the wild. But where my bro lives its slam packed. He sends me pics of the Walgreen's shelf, I've never seen so many 6" figures in one place. I just buy online, but not from poachers.

[Tamer]

It is gonna be fun to see so much attention given to SW! Wherever you are.

[Goldleaderone]

This is really exciting. I can't wait to see what else is going to be released. Only 4 more weeks!

While I had quite a bit of Micro Machines when I was younger, I outgrew them and they never stuck with me like Action Fleets did. However, they are part of the family and are more then welcomed. I'll be glad to see them return to the stores, but most likely I'll be passing on these. I was never big on playsets either. If something catches my eye I'll definitely pick it up, might have to at least get a MM Falcon.

Still holding out hope for the return of Action Fleets though.

[JDeck]

I like the micro machines, I just wish they were all the same scale. All the fighters the same scale capital ships the same scale, you know different categories of ships all the same scale. I liked those MM playsets when i was a kid, i didnt have them all but i had a bunch.

I want to say I've seen some rumors of Action Fleet stuff. In a way I want to wait to see the movie before I  buy the merch, call me old fashioned. I don't see anything other than ep.7 merch.  I'll check it out though. if i see some admiral Ackbar or Falcon stuff would be cool. Anything that overlaps from the OT. We shall see. I may see something really cool I have to have.

[Tamer]

I can't wait to see that SD MM Set. I have quite a few of the older MM sets still. I bet I bite on em, the OT ones anyhew!

[Tamer]

Just got this message in from Lucasfilm (video on the front page):

"The Force Awakens Around the World:
Star Wars Fans Invited to Join Epic Global Event on YouTube

Toy unboxing phenomenon goes live globally for the first time ahead of ‘Force Friday’

Online event featuring talent from the Maker Studios network gives fans first look at film-inspired toys ahead of midnight madness at retail

Glendale, Calif. (Aug. 26, 2015) – Star Wars: The Force Awakens products are set to be unveiled in the world’s first-ever global live toy unboxing event. Unfolding over 18 hours in 15 cities and 12 countries, the event will see highlights from the range of epic merchandise revealed in a rolling New Year’s Eve style celebration featuring top digital stars from the Maker Studios network. 

“Star Wars toys have always played an important role in how our fans interact with the Saga,” says Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy. “They’ve inspired multiple generations to relive the experience of the movies and to create new adventures all their own. These spectacular Star Wars: The Force Awakens products will continue that tradition.”

Kicking off in Sydney, Australia on the morning of September 3, and continuing through Asia, Europe, Canada, and North & South America, selections from the new toy line will debut to global fanfare leading up to retailers around the globe opening their doors at midnight.

“Over the course of 18 hours, some of Maker Studios’ biggest stars will each be unboxing a new toy from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens product line in a different city around the world and sharing the experience live on YouTube.” said Leslie Ferraro, President, Disney Consumer Products. “We’ve seen tremendous excitement for these new products and can’t wait to see the global reaction from the Star Wars fan community.” 

The Star Wars YouTube channel will host the live stream, which kicks off with the first unboxing in Sydney, Australia at 7:45 a.m. local time on Thursday, Sept. 3 (5:45 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 2), with the grand finale at Lucasfilm in San Francisco at 8 a.m. PDT  (11 a.m. EDT) on Thursday, Sept. 3. Each of the 15 locations will reveal a new product inspired by Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

These “unboxing” videos will feature online personalities sharing the excitement of opening the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens toys. Unboxing videos overall have captivated millions of Internet viewers and continue to grow in popularity. Eighteen of the top 100 most viewed YouTube Channels worldwide are dedicated to toys and toy unboxings. These 18 channels accounted for 8.1 billion views in Q1 2015. 

“We’re excited to be part of this first-of-its-kind initiative,” said Chris M. Williams, Chief Audience Officer, Maker Studios. “The unboxing world continues to expand rapidly as audiences around the world connect with digital creators who share their passions. This shared fandom helps attract billions of monthly views and consistently puts the genre at the top of the YouTube charts.”

The global unboxing event will incorporate traditional toy unboxers such as the popular EvanTubeHD, channels featuring families such as Bratayley, lifehack specialists such as ExpCaseros, gamers such as AlexBy11 and Star Wars fans from around the world, including Chris Pirillo, bringing with them a broad audience and appeal. The global line-up includes:

COUNTRY   CITY   MAKER TALENT   LOCAL TIME 9/3   EDT
Australia   Sydney   Bratayley   07:45   17:45 9/2
Japan   Tokyo   Einshine   11:00   22:00 9/2
Korea   Seoul   Dollastic   12:00   23:00 9/2
Hong Kong   Hong Kong   Dante Basco   12:00   00:00 9/3
France   Paris   AyPierre   09:00   03:00 9/3
Spain   Madrid   AlexBy11   11:00   05:00 9/3
Germany   Berlin   Reyst   12:00   06:00 9/3
England   London   GamingBeaver   11:30   06:30 9/3
Brazil   Rio de Janeiro   Malena010102   08:30   07:30 9/3
USA   New York   EvanTubeHD   08:30   08:30 9/3
Canada   Toronto   Quill18   09:00   09:00 9/3
USA   Chicago   HobbyKidsTV   08:30   09:30 9/3
Mexico   Mexico City   ExpCaseros   09:30   10:30 9/3
USA   San Francisco   Chris Pirillo   08:00   11:00 9/3

The full schedule also is available at www.StarWars.com.

Several countries will join the live stream from YouTube Spaces (Berlin, Tokyo, London), with Star Wars commentators Anthony Carboni and Andi Gutierrez hosting the event from the YouTube Space, Los Angeles.

Fans can tune in to watch live unboxings at home or on mobile devices, and also enjoy the latest trailers on the upcoming movie, commentary from special guests, fun product videos and demos, and footage from recent Star Wars events.

The global celebration culminates at midnight local time, when many retailers around the world will open their doors to fans to purchase Star Wars: The Force Awakens toys, collectibles, books, apparel and more. Visit starwars.com for more details on participating locations. Additionally, select Disney Store locations around the world will take part.  More details are available at http://www.DisneyStore.com/ForceFriday.
 
Fans are encouraged to document their experiences around the event on social media using the hashtag #ForceFriday."

[The Spectre]

Toys R Us will be giving out a free poster on Force Friday (9/4/2015).

[Tamer]

Sweet. Thanks for the post Dan, got that on the front page! I wanted to bad buys, but cool something free is being given away.

[Goldleaderone]

What's everyone doing for Force Friday? I have 1 more personal day at my morning job, and 2 more at my afternoon job. I took the afternoon job off, I was debating of taking my morning job off. I decided against it as if I did, I probably would be waking up late anyway so it wouldn't be worth it. I get out at 10:30 so as soon as I get out I'll be heading up to see what they got.

[JDeck]

  Yeah I have to work Friday and Saturday. I get up at 4:00 AM work till 6:00 PM so everything will be gone by the time I get there. I could get there at 12:01 get to sleep by 1:00, but I don't do that kind of thing anymore. Lol. Its cool though I'll buy what I want online.