So yesterday I talked about the Yoda complex so it seems a perfectly appropriate time to talk about the recent Star Wars campaign for ‘The Force Awakens’.
Now I have a very vested interest in the Star Wars franchise, not just because it is one of the most iconic movies of my youth, but because my Mum was involved in the making of the first one. Sure, it was a small role, but it made her the coolest Mum in the universe.
Including galaxies far, far away.
Now if I’m being honest, those good feelings were tested to the max when George Lucas decided to launch the car crashes that were episodes I, II and III – especially as he incorporated the most annoying character since Scrappy Doo, Jar Jar Binks – but somehow, and to be honest I’m not exactly sure how, he came through without me wanting to kill him.
Hurt him, yes.
Kill him, no.
Years pass and Disney buy the rights to the franchise.
To be honest, I didn’t know whether to be happy or concerned.
Sure, I loved that a story I held in such high emotional esteem was going to be brought back into my life but there was more than a worry that the owners of Mickey might screw it up because let’s be honest, they bloody love their cuddly characters don’t they.
But then they announced the director was going to be no other than J J Abrams.
Sure, he’s not the greatest director in the World … in fact he’s a bit overrated … however he has an energy and edge that ensured that the chances were it would be more in the family of the original movies than the dumbed-down, uber-diluted prequels.
Early signs were good.
The trailers were exciting … there was a reintroduction of old and new characters and THERE WASN’T A CUDDLY ALIEN IN SIGHT.
Yes.
And then the promotional activity started.
Look, I know it’s an important film.
I appreciate it was hideously expensive to make.
I get it’s a competitive marketplace so you want to stand out.
But how the hell does that justify this in Singapore …
… or this in the US …
… or this in China, a country that doesn’t even support Christmas …
I thought Hello Kitty, Ferrari and LG were brand whores, selling themselves to whoever hands over the cash, but this is a whole other level of ‘selling out’.
Fortunately the movie wasn’t as bad as their promotional activity suggested – though that could also be because their promotional activity set such a low bar, even Jar Jar Binks would look good in comparison, but being honest, I loved it. Every single second of it – however this ultimately shows the 2 sides of the Disney organisation.
The amazingly creative, craft obsessed, imaginative geniuses.
[Of which this is another example of when they’re brilliant]
And the supermarket publicists.
[Of which this is another example of when they’re scandalous]
Or said another way, the Force and the Dark Side.
God, I hope the Force wins as the franchise moves forward or I expect to see a Yoda vibrator at Ann Summers sometime in the future.