I was completely amazed in a sociological way when it was revealed that “unboxing” videos are some of the most lucrative and popular videos on YouTube. In fact it was revealed last year that the third most popular YouTube channel in the world is an unboxing channel featuring a then unknown host who was pulling in millions of dollars for her work.
If you’re unfamiliar with the phenomenon the videos feature adults opening toys and providing a blow by blow account of the activity. That’s it. And there’s millions of them. My daughter watches them in rapt fascination until we knock the iPad out of her hands for creeping us out.
Ever on the cutting edge of social media the folks running the ancillary market for Star Wars (ie; toys and so forth) have leapt on this freaky fixation and will be unleashing an 18 hour unboxing event on Thursday, September 3. In short, starting at 7:45 am Australia time there will be 18 straight hours of people from around the globe opening toys from the new Star Wars movie.
While on the surface, this is terrifying because we all know Star Wars geek adults are going to be pinned to their fuzzy Chewbacca chair for this event. No one needs to watch 18 hours straight of anything let alone what equates to a commercial for toys. However what’s kind of intriguing and will provide fodder for movie focused websites for a week or so is that the toys will reveal characters we don’t know about, names we’ve never heard, weapons, outfits, how Oscar Isaac will look as an action figure…on and on. More info to follow…
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: 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 theStar Wars: The Force Awakens product line in a different city around the world and sharing the experience liveon 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.[1]
“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.”
