In one of the better promotional stunts in recent memory, a German company has built a barrel organ out of 20,000 Lego bricks that plays the Star Wars theme song.

The surface of the giant, spinning musical contraption is divided into several sections depicting scenes from the sci-fi saga, including the Death Star, Tatooine, the snowy surface of Hoth and an Endor forest.

The hand-cranked organ, created by Serviceplan with the help of Lego professional Rene Hoffmeister, works by having Lego figures on the barrel's surface hit levers as the device spins around. The levers press keys on an attached keyboard, playing John Williams' classic composition.

"When I was asked to do the project, at first I was not sure if this really was going to happen," Hoffmeister said in a new making-of video that shows off the amazing project.

The barrel organ has been on tour in Germany since January, going around theaters in the lead-up to the 3-D release of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Later this year it'll find a home at Legoland Germany.

See photos of the Star Wars Lego barrel organ, as well as videos of it in action, in the gallery above. The Force is strong with this one.

Photos courtesy Serviceplan Campaign

[via Lorenz Lnggrtnr]