In 1977, Star Wars dominated the box office and launched one of the most successful movie franchises in history.
Recognizing an incredible opportunity, Kenner Products, the toy company holding the action figure license for Star Wars, set out to capitalize on the phenomenon.
Initially, Kenner produced the “Escape the Death Star” board game, based on events from A New Hope. However, the company soon realized that a board game wasn’t enough to satisfy fans’ demand.
They knew action figures were the way to go, and Star Wars figures had the potential to become a massive hit. However, Kenner didn’t have enough time to produce them for the 1977 holiday season, risking the loss of a critical sales period.
That’s when Kenner introduced the groundbreaking “Early Bird Certificate Package.”
This package was essentially an empty box priced at $7.99, containing a Star Wars fan club membership card, a colorful display stand, stickers, and a mail-in certificate.
Fans who purchased the package could redeem the certificate for four action figures—Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and R2-D2—which would be delivered by June 1978.
Despite selling an empty box, the Early Bird campaign became a massive success. Fans eagerly bought the packages, excited by the promise of receiving the first-ever Star Wars action figures.
By the time these figures hit shelves, the lineup had expanded to include C-3PO, Darth Vader, Stormtrooper, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo, Jawa, Sand People, and Death Squad Commander, making a total of twelve figures in the initial release.
Kenner didn’t stop there. By late 1978, additional vehicles, playsets, and exclusive releases like the Sonic Controlled Landspeeder and the Sears Cantina Adventure Set, which introduced new figures, had joined the lineup. By the end of 1978, the total number of figures had grown to 20.
The demand was so overwhelming that Kenner struggled to keep up, with shortages reported in the lead-up to Christmas 1978.
Some even speculated that the company might be manipulating the market to drive demand. Regardless, sales of Star Wars toys reached an astounding 40 million units in 1978, generating $100 million in revenue and solidifying the franchise’s place in pop culture history.