“May the Fourth be with you!”
That’s the pop culture pun greeting pretty much everyone with an Internet connection this morning, as the Star Wars reference (it sounds similar to the line “may the Force be with you” from the movies) has evolved in recent years from being an inside joke among fans to turning May 4 into an unofficial holiday.
Originally a way for Star Wars fans to acknowledge one another along with their beloved movie franchise, the somewhat silly conceit eventually found its way (as all things holy do) into the hands of big brands and the people who man their social media feeds. The number of companies with Star Wars-related offers and advertisements seems to grow every year.
And, of course, the Force is currently especially strong with the Star Wars brand after the franchise’s first new film in a decade, The Force Awakens, blasted its way to box office records after Walt Disney’s (DIS) Lucasfilm released it in December. And, Disney isn’t done making new Star Wars movies, with two more sequels planned in the coming years along with multiple spin-offs, including this December’s Rogue One.
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Countless companies and public figures looked to capitalize on Star Wars‘ soaring pop culture cache on Wednesday, ranging from the obvious (Lucasfilm itself) to the slightly more head-scratching (Gov. John Kasich, who just dropped out of the GOP presidential race). Even Campbell Soup (CPB) got in on the act, pitching its Star Wars-themed line of soups.
Others participating in #StarWarsDay include Domino’s (DPZ), Microsoft’s (MSFT) Bing, and Sony (SNE).
You could say the Force is with us. #MayThe4thBeWithYoupic.twitter.com/9LdiOydwC4
— Domino's Pizza (@dominos) May 4, 2016
Do or do not celebrate #StarWarsDay, there is no try. See if you know the holiday's origin: https://t.co/zVu5xPwJGepic.twitter.com/Dv4xCuomZw
— Bing (@bing) May 4, 2016
#MayThe4thBeWithYou (via Jedi Master Builder on Instagram) https://t.co/GlFJyCONL6pic.twitter.com/1jOHn19ngL
— Sony Electronics (@SonyElectronics) May 4, 2016
Meanwhile, Toys “R” US showed off some Star Wars products after the franchise racked up more than $700 million in toy sales in 2015 alone.
Make it your aim to have the best #StarWarsDay EVER #MayThe4thBeWithYouhttps://t.co/4fR0DCYON7
— Toys"R"Us (@ToysRUs) May 4, 2016
The sports world even got involved.
May the Fourth be with you. Pic.twitter.com/sXOc2qR54o
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) May 4, 2016
#MayThe4thBeWithYou, #Orioles fans.
Watch this and more at https://t.co/uI8SEZS8Krhttps://t.co/wnvFG30Wx9
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) May 4, 2016
And then, NASA and London’s Heathrow Airport both chimed in with solid jokes.
It's definitely a moon. But to be safe, we've flown by several times: https://t.co/b68Y8hZBKT#MayThe4thBeWithYoupic.twitter.com/BWfOAlAxK2
— Cassini (@CassiniSaturn) May 4, 2016
Today sees the inaugural flight of the newest aircraft to fly from Heathrow! #MayThe4thBeWithYou#AHubForTheGalaxypic.twitter.com/aEN0vaRYnX
— Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) May 4, 2016
The official Twitter page for Star Wars posted several May 4 messages, including a call for fans to donate to charity as well as a look at the many Star Wars-related deals that are out there today for consumers. Those deals include discounts on certain Star Wars products at a wide range of retailers such as Target (TGT), Toys “R” US, and Walmart (WMT), among others.