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“The circle is now complete”: Transmedia Storytelling and Nostalgia in Star Wars Television Adverts

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The Transmedia Franchise of Star Wars TV

Abstract

This chapter argues that while Star Wars television adverts help us understand the cultural and economic impact of the merchandise on sale, they should also be considered important transmedia extensions of the franchise. Using story, characters, nostalgia, and parody they convey important messages about family, intergenerational relationships, and what it means to be a fan in anticipation of new content. Adverts that used Star Wars characters to market partnered brands before Disney’s takeover of the franchise highlight the strategy of integration and synergy, where iconic characters become brands in their own right. On the other hand, adverts used to promote The Force Awakens focused on the gap between pre- and post-Disney Star Wars —introducing the franchise to a whole new generation. Nostalgia became the mode through which companies such as Toy “R” Us and Walmart targeted older fans, relying on brand affiliation for Star Wars to promote new characters and new merchandise.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Engelhardt, The End of Victory Culture, 268–269.

  2. 2.

    Engelhardt, 268–269.

  3. 3.

    Kapur, “Out of Control,” 125.

  4. 4.

    Kapur, 127.

  5. 5.

    Kline, “The Empire of Play,” 162.

  6. 6.

    Williams, Television: Technology and Cultural Form.

  7. 7.

    See Lundy, “The Enduring Force of Kenner Star Wars Toy Commercials,” in this volume.

  8. 8.

    Hills, “Putting Away Childish Things: Jar Jar Binks and the ‘Virtual Star’ as an Object of Fan Loathing,” 89.

  9. 9.

    Balio, “‘A major presence in all the world’s important markets’: The Globalization of Hollywood in the 1990s,” 61.

  10. 10.

    Holt, Empires of Entertainment: Media Industries and the Politics of Deregulation, 1980–1996, 3.

  11. 11.

    Thompson, Storytelling in Film and Television, 82.

  12. 12.

    Johnnys Amusements, “Currys & PC World Megastores TV Advert—Starwars.”

  13. 13.

    See Krämer, “‘It’s aimed at kids—the kid in everybody’: George Lucas, Star Wars and Children’s Entertainment.”

  14. 14.

    Conform ScarlVideo, “Currys PC World 2011 Official Ad Vader’s Visit Director’s Cut Darth Vader Star Wars.”

  15. 15.

    Harries, Film Parody, 37.

  16. 16.

    King, Film Comedy, 114.

  17. 17.

    EMI Production Music, “Vodafone RED Box Yoda Commercial.”

  18. 18.

    McCracken, Culture and Consumption II, 105.

  19. 19.

    McCracken, 110–112.

  20. 20.

    Gillan, Television Brandcasting, 2.

  21. 21.

    Gillan, 8–9.

  22. 22.

    Proctor and McCulloch, “Introduction: from the House That George Built to the House of Mouse,” 6–11.

  23. 23.

    Lucasfilm, “The Legendary Star Wars Expanded Universe Turns A New Page.”

  24. 24.

    See Nardi, “Canonical Legends,” in this volume.

  25. 25.

    Jenkins, Convergence Culture, 334.

  26. 26.

    Jenkins, “The Aesthetics of Transmedia.”

  27. 27.

    Proctor and Freeman, “‘The first step into a smaller world,’” 223–245.

  28. 28.

    See Lundy, “The Enduring Force of Kenner Star Wars Toy Commercials” and Ferguson, “The Holiday Special and the Hole in the Archive,” in this volume.

  29. 29.

    Becerril Productions, “ToysRUs Star Wars Commercial Like Father, Like Daughter.”

  30. 30.

    Joshua Hickey, “Walmart Star Wars Commercial 2015.”

  31. 31.

    JosephProductions, “Star Wars Walmart 1983 To Present Day Toy Commercial.”

  32. 32.

    intrepidclass Bugs, “Star Wars Share the Force Awakens target commercial spot Darth Vader Luke Skywalker Han Solo Leia.”

  33. 33.

    Phillips, “Simultaneously Laughing, Screaming, and Crying,” 260–261.

  34. 34.

    That Junkman, “Duracell Star Wars Commercial ‘Battle for Christmas Morning.’”

  35. 35.

    de Bruin-Molé, “‘Does it Come with a Spear?’” See also Giannelli, “The Princesses Strikes Back,” in this volume.

  36. 36.

    Booth, Playing Fans, 102.

  37. 37.

    Booth, 21.

  38. 38.

    Jenkins, The WOW Climax, 157; Jenkins, “Introduction: Childhood Innocence and Other Modern Myths,” 4.

  39. 39.

    Grainge, Monochrome Memories, 58.

  40. 40.

    Harvey, Fantastic Transmedia, 148.

  41. 41.

    Boym, The Future of Nostalgia, xvi.

  42. 42.

    Boym, xvi.

  43. 43.

    OldAndCrankyOne, “VW Commercial ‘The Force’ Extended Version.”

  44. 44.

    PumpingItUp1, “Star Wars Kraft Macaroni & Cheese ‘Can’t Play.’”

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK

    Lincoln Geraghty

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  1. Lincoln Geraghty
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Correspondence to Lincoln Geraghty .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political Science, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    Dominic J. Nardi

  2. Department of Communication Studies, Luther College, Decorah, IA, USA

    Derek R. Sweet

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Geraghty, L. (2020). “The circle is now complete”: Transmedia Storytelling and Nostalgia in Star Wars Television Adverts. In: Nardi, D.J., Sweet, D.R. (eds) The Transmedia Franchise of Star Wars TV. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52958-1_5

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