All Nippon Airways “Star Wars” Plane

When you've got a big, blockbuster movie, you need big, blockbuster promotions and tie-ins.

All Nippon Airways and Walt Disney Company franchise "Star Wars" are teaming up to paint one of the airline's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners to look like R2D2.

From The Wall Street Journal:

The announcement Thursday of the cross-promotion came as “Star Wars” fans gathered in Anaheim, Calif., to hear about the latest developments from cast and crew ahead of the December release of the sequel “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Fans were treated to a newly released trailer for the film, which is the first to be released under the ownership of Disney, which purchased Lucasfilm Ltd. in 2012 for $4 billion.

 

This isn’t the first time a blockbuster movie franchise has teamed with an airline for a flying billboard. Air New Zealand painted several Boeing 777s and 747s for director Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies.

 

But ANA is hyping its new livery like it has no prequel, saying it “marks the first time a Star Wars character will appear on the exterior of a commercial aircraft.” The company has launched a new website—complete with theme music—dedicated to the R2-D2 jet, which it says will fly on international routes this autumn and is part of a five-year “Star Wars Project” that “will connect Japan to the global market.”

 

May the force be with you...right after you remove your belt and shoes, and place all liquids in the provided bins.