Star Wars’ merchandising event Force Friday II is right around the corner, and in preparation for this big event, an encoded video message from General Organa has been released. Back in 2015, the Force Friday event was launched as celebration of the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, unveiling various toys, action figures, novels, books, and even a makeup line, all in preparation for the release of Episode VII.

With the next episode in the Star Wars saga coming out later this year, Force Friday is coming back to reveal all kinds of Star Wars: The Last Jedi products – and even a new character – all thanks to the Star Wars app and augmented reality. As part of the promotional campaign for this event, Star Wars has released a special (and encoded) message from General Organa.

The short video shows three messages from General Leia Organa: The first one reminding us that the battle of the Starkiller base (as seen in The Force Awakens) “has been won but the war rages on.” The second one is directed to the squadrons (or, in this case, the fans), expected to report immediately and await instructions. Finally, General Organa tells us that the fate of the resistance – and the galaxy – is in our hands.

Rian Johnson and Carrie Fisher as General Leia on the set of Star Wars The Last Jedi

Force Friday II will take place in 20,000 retail locations across 30 countries, and fans will have the chance to take part of the festivities by downloading the latest version of the Star Wars app. Once downloaded, fans will have to visit any of the participating stores, find a graphic with the Find The Force logo, scan it with the app, and a character will be revealed via augmented reality.

In addition to that, fans will be able to share their experience on social media with the hashtags #FindTheForce and #Sweepstakes to enter for a chance to win a trip to the Last Jedi premiere. From September 1 through September 3 each graphic will reveal a different character, 15 in total, including a new character – so you might want to go back and scan that code one more time.

Force Friday II is being treated as a treasure hunt, making it a much more immersive experience than the past event, and videos like the encoded message from General Organa make it more exciting and appealing. The augmented reality approach will surely bring more attention to the event and will hopefully be packed with plenty of surprises for all users around the world.

Next: How The Last Jedi Could Evolve Star Wars’ Definition of Family

Source: Star Wars

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