2023 HasLab - TVC The Ghost

[Nicklab]

I saw SO MANY bad April Fool's posts on Saturday that I just had to tune out social media.  It also helped that I went away for the weekend, LOL!

I'm curious to see about the Ghost rumor.  I'd love to get it if it happens because I really enjoyed REBELS.  The first season of the show had some weak spots, but the story telling over the course of the entire series developed into something great.  That's why I was just so taken aback by the Zeb cameo on last week's episode of THE MANDALORIAN.  And with the AHSOKA series involving Sabine?  And the various breadcrumbs about REBELS related storylines turning up elsewhere?  I'm on board with it all.

[Dave]

It doesn't seem like we're going to find out what the next HasLab item is at EU Celebration.  Do we have any sense for when they're going to reveal this?

[Nicklab]

I heard Patrick and Chris mention during an interview that SDCC is one of their two big, annual promotional beats.  And whatever happens during the spring, there is ALWAYS something new that gets revealed at SDCC. 

AHSOKA was announced as an August release for Disney+.  I would guess that it would be late August.  Hell, I'll even go so far as to say that it will be on August 30th!  And I think there's going to be a big panel and final trailer reveal at SDCC.  The promotional launch for the Ghost Haslab will probably take place there and then.  And I suspect that the Haslab campaign itself will probably be timed to coincide with the release of the AHSOKA series.

As for the Ghost itself?  Well, the trailer showed Hera piloting the Phantom II!  I would think if Hasbro includes the Phantom it would be the Phantom II.  And maybe the Phantom I could be a stretch goal?

[Matt_Fury]

If they make it capable to accommodate the previously release phantom, I would be happy, but a stretch goal wild be awesome.

[Dave]

If it is The Ghost, what do we think the unlocks will be? 

I think having The Phantom as an unlock seems like too big of a value item, but may be included in the original bundle.

The Razor Crest had five unlocks with a low/moderate value each: 
Tier 1 - Escape Pod (low cost)
Tier 2 - Grogu with Pram (low cost)
Tier 3 - Carbonite Blocks of Captured Bounties (low cost)
Tier 4 - Display Stand (moderate cost)
Tier 5 - Jawa Elder (low cost)

My guesses for The Ghost (not in any order):
- Display stand
- 2 figure variants / repacks of The Ghost crew members (assuming we will get mainline carded versions)
- Puffer pig with crate
- Crates with gear or Meiloorun fruit

A speeder bike would be great too, but that might have too much value and might be offered separately with a figure (Ezra?).

[Matt_Fury]

I think it's a safe bet we would get the Rebels crew in the main line...similar to all the Jabba's figures we got before the sail barge release and Mando figures before the Razor Crest.  Any included figures would have to have some special feature or card to differentiate them from the mainline release.

That being said, I think a Haslab Ghost could look like this:

Original offer:  Ghost with Phantom II, Hera action figure (not carded with some sort of soft goods/accessory not in the main line release)

Tier 1: Phantom 1.  They have already released this in the Rebels line...maybe add better weathering or something to differentiate it from the original release.

Tier 2: Zeb in his Rebels outfit.  I'm assuming that his mainline release will be in his blue flight suit from The Mandalorian.

Tier 3: Some sort of accessory set.  I like Dave's idea of crates with cargo they've delivered.  Could also be the Jedi Holocron and some other items.

Tier 4: Display Stand.

Tier 5: Some sort of carded figure.  Possibly a version of Kanan different from a mainline release.

You could swap tier one and three....they always put something that should be included and very popular at a higher unlock.

[EdSolo]

I think their main focus is actually producing something that will actually get funded.  If they have another failure, then the whole program becomes a joke.

I still can't understand why they aren't pushing for either a Death Star playset or a Star Destroyer.

[Rob]

I want a Jabba’s palace style cantina more than any of those, but yeah. 

I’d buy a big expensive Ghost too though.

[StBrianOfMinneapolis]

Whatever the project is Has lab is trending towards having an early backer bonus tier that seems to be limited to the first week.

[Dave]

Whatever the project is Has lab is trending towards having an early backer bonus tier that seems to be limited to the first week.

I personally like that, but if they've got a good offering there shouldn't be a problem getting it funded quickly.  I think the Razor Crest hit its target in a day.

[Jeff]

Hasbro has confirmed that they will reveal the next TVC HasLab project at SDCC.

Hmmm....

2023 SDCC Hasbro Panel = ~July 21/22 2023
Ahoska coming to D+ = August 2023

Is that more proof that those things are related?

[Matt_Fury]

At this point, I'll be surprised if it's not the Ghost.

[Rob]

At this point, I'll be surprised if it's not the Ghost.

How often is Jayson wrong at this point?

[Jeff]

The GI Joe team is set to announce a new G.I. Joe Classified Series HasLab project on June 5th.  I wonder how the timing and price of that will potentially affect the rumored Ghost/TVC HasLab project?

Hasbro Star Wars team better be planning something special to market this campaign because it might be a tall order for a $600 Ghost to come along after the casual fans have spent all their summer money buying up whatever is coming to go along with that Classified Series HISS Tank.

[Nicklab]

We're just a few days away from the launch of this Haslab campaign.  It's almost certainly going to be on Friday during the Hasbro Star Wars panel (IIRC it's at 2 pm PT).

I think the consensus within the community is that this is going to be the Ghost.  But the questions remain:

What will the backing threshold be?  The Sail Barge had a backing threshold of 5,000 units, and wound up with over 8,800 backers.  The Razor Crest's threshold was 6,000 backers, and wound up with over 26,000 units backed.  I think these are most appropriate comparisons for the upcoming campaign.  The Black Series Rancor campaign was more of an example of what NOT to do.

What are the stretch goals going to be?  The challenge presented here is to make it something interesting / relevant to the Ghost but at the same time something that isn't necessarily locked behind a $600 pay wall.