OT: Star Wars Characters In Commercials

[gkb]

Admittedly I'm not losing sleep over this, but it really bugs me. I don't want to see Yoda trying to score a Diet Pepsi in a diner. I don't want to see Chewbacca trying to cell Cingular phones. C'mon Lucas, stop putting Star Wars icons in commercials.

I was wondering if I just hadn't noticed this before, or is this the first time that Yoda and others have shown up in commercials?

I keep waiting to see Indiana Jones trying to cell something next. :rolleyes:

[rkmsuf]

Star Wars has always been about marketing merchandising.

I'd thought the Chewbaca one was kind of funny.

[QuikSand]

Toyota + Yoda = advertising gold

[Raiders Army]

At least Chewie sells. Jar Jar doesn't sell shit. Imagine if the Sarlaac Pit was in a commercial for the Sahara Desert? That wouldn't sell. You gotta get the big guns baby.

[WSUCougar]

How about Princess Leia selling Viagra?

"Aren't you a little short to be a storm trooper?"
"That doesn't sound too hard."

[sterlingice]

Kindof off topic, but the commercials that seem really sacreligious to me are the Spartacus Pepsi ones. Just seems wrong.

SI

[JonInMiddleGA]

{shrug} I got a pretty good laugh out of the Diet Pepsi spot when I saw it the other day.
(Yoda trying to scam Diet Pepsi, in case there's more than one spot)

There's an article I saw somewhere today (MSNBC.com IIRC) about the amount of merchandising that's tied to this movie, largely because Lucas is not currently planning to do anything else with the franchise except some cartoons. Kind of his last chance to make some bucks off them in a big way I guess.

[TazFTW]

Haven't seen the Yoda one but I do like the Darth Vader M&Ms one. That red M&M got what he deserved.

[panerd]

I was obviously a kid, but give me a break if this series hasn't had the shit marketed out of it since Star Wars. If not, then why do I have a milinium falcon and about 900 action figures stored in my parent's basement. I don't think it is possible to whore this franchise any worse than it already has been.

[kcchief19]

They don't really bother me that much because they aren't very serious. I think there is a tongue-in-cheek feel to them that makes most of them pretty funny.

[ice4277]

Its a movie franchise people. The whole point is to market it and make money.

[JasonC23]

There's an article I saw somewhere today (MSNBC.com IIRC) about the amount of merchandising that's tied to this movie, largely because Lucas is not currently planning to do anything else with the franchise except some cartoons. Kind of his last chance to make some bucks off them in a big way I guess.
Actually, there's going to be a live-action TV series set between Episodes III and IV, in addition to the cartoon series.

[Swaggs]

If anything, I thought they did not pimp out Episode 2 nearly as much as usual, so that may be why this one seems overdone to you. Episode 1 was so overdone, I think they toned it down a little for the second one.

[ice4277]

If anything, I thought they did not pimp out Episode 2 nearly as much as usual, so that may be why this one seems overdone to you. Episode 1 was so overdone, I think they toned it down a little for the second one.
I liked the Episode I Pepsi and Mountain Dew cans, many of which featured characters who were in the movie for a total of about 30 seconds.

[Tigercat]

I look forward to any new sci-fi on TV, but even if its as well put together as possible I question the possible success of a Star Wars series. Can it really be Star Wars as we have known it without any Jedi in it?

[judicial clerk]

I think it is fine. We shouldn't take these characters so seriously. i like the one where the guy wins a million bucks and then DV tells him he is his father adn when the guy doesn't buy DV tells him he is his uncle.

[Pyser]

Actually, there's going to be a live-action TV series set between Episodes III and IV, in addition to the cartoon series.

and the original trilogy is going to be re-released again (one year apart each)...in 3-D.