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Target’s Rogue One Commercial Features Real-Life Star Wars Fans

By Elaine Tveit

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Target’s Share the Force commercial promoting Rogue One-themed merchandise featured real-life Star Wars fans.

Target’s Share the Force campaign which markets new Star Wars products is back for Rogue One. This year, Target is adding a personal note to their advertising by featuring real-life Star Wars fans in their first Share the Force commercial of the season.

Check out the commercial below.

The first real-life fan to appear in the commercial is Charley Burns, a nine-year-old fan who says, “I like the characters that do their own thing, like me.” In StarWars.com’s interview with Charley and the rest of the fans in the Target commercial, Charley revealed who her favorite Star Wars characters are.

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"My favorite characters are Han Solo and Chewbacca. They inspire me because Han Solo — he’s a good guy, but he doesn’t like to be told what to do (like me), but he still does the right thing anyway. And Chewbacca is just so loyal and tough and awesome. I bet they’d be great best friends."

I like Charley’s thinking. She doesn’t automatically go for the cutest character, or the characters who are female like her. She likes rebels who are good at heart, and there is no one more rebellious in the original trilogy than Han Solo. It makes sense the smuggler is her favorite Star Wars character, along with his fuzzy pal. Rogue One and the 2018 Han Solo film will be wonderful experiences for her.

The second fan in the commercial is Dan Zehr, a teacher and the co-host of Coffee With Kenobi, a Star Wars fan podcast. Dan has been incorporating Star Wars into his lessons for over ten years.

"The first lesson I ever taught was in a workshop class, and the lesson was to my fellow aspiring teachers. It was 2005, and Revenge of the Sith was fresh in my mind. As I watched the film, I was struck with how closely Anakin Skywalker’s fall fit beautifully with Shakespeare’s formula for a tragic hero… So, it seemed like a natural fit to incorporate Episode III into a lesson on Shakespeare and tragic heroes."

Today, Dan is a full-fledged educator, and finds Star Wars is the perfect medium for imparting wisdom and knowledge to young minds.

"As a teacher, using Star Wars is invaluable, because I get so many different perspectives on concepts and motifs that I never would have thought about before, but my amazing students look at this galaxy in fascinating ways. We very much learn from each other."

via GIPHY

Speaking of sharing Star Wars with the next generation, that’s exactly what Star Wars fan in Target’s new commercial is doing with her son.

The fan, Amiyrah Martin, described to StarWars.com what her son has already learned from the science fiction franchise.

"My son is already impacted by Star Wars, and all of the fantastic fanatical living that we do because of it. He knows that it doesn’t matter where he comes from, how he was raised, or what he grows up to be, he always has the option of being the hero. He always has the right to be the good in the world. And, he can be the one to save the day, even if it seems like he’s the underdog. Plus, no matter how old he gets, he’ll always think lightsabers are cool. Always."

Becoming a parent affected Amiyrah’s personal fandom, as well.

"Star Wars resonates with me in many ways, but once I became a parent, it had a totally different meaning. There was always that family center within the saga, and once I became a mom, I understood the importance behind doing what’s right, standing up for family, seeing friends as family, and of course, risking your own life to save your child (props to Darth Vader)."

That’s the first time I’ve ever heard a parent give props to Darth Vader for his parenting. Go you, Amiyrah!

via GIPHY

The last two Star Wars fans in the commercial are a couple named Jennifer and Josh. The two were married in a Star Wars-themed wedding, complete with stormtroopers in attendance.

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Jennifer described to StarWars.com how she and her husband pulled it off.

"A few hours after we got engaged, we began talking about some of the details of the wedding. I suggested having a Star Wars-themed wedding. It only seemed natural because we are both Star Wars fans! Josh liked the idea but reminded me that not everyone attending the wedding might know what a Mon Calamari is… In the end, we decided to incorporate our love for Star Wars in a way that would be fun for both fans and non-fans alike. Whether it was having tiny Ewoks in our terrarium centerpieces or having a glittery Millennium Falcon flying through a cluster of hydrangeas, we sprinkled our Star Wars fandom into as many details as possible."

Jennifer then expressed what it is she loves about Star Wars, which goes hand in hand with how Dan and Amiyrah feel about passing on their love for the franchise.

"In addition to the adventure and fun, there are so many wonderful life lessons found in the galaxy of Star Wars. I will always carry these stories close to my heart and it’s why I think it’s important that we share them for generations to come."

“I like the characters who do their own thing, like me” – Charley Burns

Using real Star Wars fans instead of actors for their Share the Force commercial is a smart move by Target. It helps them that sharing Star Wars with others is what Star Wars fans are already all about. But there is also no better way to gain our support than by involving us as a community in a given project. I immediately became more interested in Target’s Rogue One marketing campaign when I discovered someone I knew (Dan Zehr) was in one of their commercials. I’m happy for Charley, Dan, Amiyrah, Jennifer, and Josh for being able to share the Force of their fandom with the world.

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Take part in the Share the Force campaign by sharing your love of Star Wars with the hashtag #SharetheForce. And look for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story products in Target and other retail stores on September 30th.

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