Disney to Debut New Star Wars Toys Via Online Unboxing Event

Disney is using the force of popular YouTube unboxing videos to promote the latest installment in the Star Wars series, revealing the accompanying toys via a worldwide online roll-out.

The company will unveil Star Wars: The Force Awakens products in the world’s first global live toy unboxing event. The festivities will unfold over 18 hours in 15 cities and 12 countries across the globe, starting in Sydney, Australia on the morning of September 3 at 7:45am local time (5:45pm EST on September 2), with a YouTube star in each city revealing a different toy from the collection. The big reveals will culminate in a grand finale at Lucasfilm in San Francisco at 8 am PST on September 3 and kick off the release of Disney’s new Star Wars products at retailers, many of which will open their doors at midnight. Additionally, Star Wars commentators Anthony Carboni and Andi Gutierrez (pictured above) will host a live event from the YouTube Space in Los Angeles.

“We’re excited to be part of this first-of-its-kind initiative,” says Chris M. Williams, chief audience officer of Maker Studios, a leading YouTube content network. “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.”

Among the Maker Studios YouTube stars participating in the event are toy unboxer EvanTubeHD, gamer AlexBy11 and Star Wars fanatic Chris Pirillo.

Fans can tune into the Star Wars YouTube channel to view the live stream, and are encouraged to follow along, using the hashtag #ForceFriday on social media. Click here for the full schedule.