Oreo, Windows, MLB and Others Bring the Force for 'Star Wars' Day

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Brands such as Major League Baseball participated in Star Wars Day.

Image: MLB

By Samantha Murphy Kelly2014-05-04 19:30:52 UTC

Anyone who's been online Sunday probably knows it's Star Wars Day, one of the Internet's favorite holidays, during which fans and nerds alike love to say "May the fourth be with you."

Not only are phrases related to the day dominating the majority of trending hashtags on Twitter, brands are capitalizing on it, too. We've seen Major League Baseball players wielding glowing lightsabers, and Nissan getting punny with its new Juke ad. What's more, musicians such as Chris Daughtry and Ben Folds have teamed up with College Humor in a Star Wars-themed parody.

SEE ALSO: 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Cast Announced

The phrase, "May the fourth be with you" has its roots in advertising. First used on May 4, 1979, Margaret Thatcher's political party placed it in a London newspaper ad to congratulate her for becoming the UK's prime minister, according to StarWars.com. It said, 'May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations."

But Star Wars Day didn't really take off until about three years ago, when the Toronto Underground Cinema started celebrating it in 2011 at an event that featured a costume contest with celebrity judges, as well as a marathon of Star Wars tribute films, mash-ups and parodies, according to International Business Times .

Here's a look at some of our favorite May 4th references, which made the rounds online Sunday:

Starbucks

Southwest Airlines

Oreo

Windows

College Humor: Star Wars Cantina Band auditions

Nissan Juke ad

Smithsonian

MLB: The Empire strikes out

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Topics: Business, Conversations, Film, Marketing, May 4th, Star Wars