Star Trek PR Blitz Doesn’t Energize
Posted by prdude | Posted in Movies, PR Campaigns | Posted on 08-05-2009
Tags: PR Campaigns, Publicity, Star Trek, Stardate
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Star date: -313650.7668061897
Whether you’re a trekkie or not, you’ve heard all of the famous lines from Star Trek through the decades. “Beam me up, Scottie.” “Energize.” “Live Long and Prosper.” and probably the most famous of them all, “To boldly go where no man has gone before.”
I saw the new Star Trek last night and I have to say it lived up to expectations. J.J. Abrams, creator/director of many blockbuster movies including, Mission: Impossible III, and cult hit TV series, Lost, is a genius. He did a terrific job in delivering all the prequel story lines. It’s a must-see whether you like sci-fi flicks or not. If you don’t believe me, just view the trailer below:
What didn’t live up to expectations is the ongoing publicity blitz for the movie. (Hey, you guys didn’t expect me to do a movie review here, right? It’s a PR blog).
For a new movie franchise with two young (and I say this in the most heterosexual way) hot, gorgeous guys helming the birth of the U.S.S. Enterprise, I am quite disappointed that Paramount decided to send Leonard Nimoy, the original Spock, as its pitch man for the movie. Please don’t get me wrong. I love Nimoy, but probably not as much as Ann Curry of The Today Show as you’ll see in the clip below.
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Nimoy’s Vulcan looks is aging. He has lived long and prospered. Yet apparently the PR folks at Paramount thought he still had enough juice to go on another tour in space, I mean, studios. Nimoy’s been beamed up on all morning shows, late night TV and everything in between. There is a disconnect between the movie and its publicity efforts, I must say.
If the new Star Trek movie was trying to breed and connect with a new generation of Star Trek fans, they’ve failed. My 15 year-old teen dudette asked who Nimoy was when he was being interviewed on one of the talk shows. Why Paramount’s PR pros decided against using Chris Pine, who plays the young virile James T. Kirk, and Zachary Quinto, the mature yet at times emotional, Spock, as spokespeople for the movie simply makes me wonder whether the PR profession will still be practiced in the 23rd century…I mean for the love of God, this is Sylar! 
As Spock would say, “Illogical.”
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Great post! I, too, was a little confused when I saw Nimoy come out as a big rep for their publicity. I chalked it up to the studio trying to appeal to hardcore fans … I don’t think it’s any secret that some hardcore trekkies were a little unsettled by what looked to be a REALLY commercialized movie. I thought it might be an effort by the studios to appeal to hardcore fans? I mean, if Nimoy’s behind the film, what good trekkie isn’t going to go?
Also, I am SO jealous you’ve seen it. I can’t WAIT.
@Lex_D
Correction: JJ Abrams did not direct Transformers, Michael Bay did. I stand corrected. Thanks Chris for emailing me about that error. I’ve updated the post to reflect it. Sorry for the misinformation. Live long & prosper my friends.
Chris Hayes, PR Director for Paine PR, a PR agency that others should emulate, sent me the following email with his comments for this post:
You know that Chris Pine, Zachary Quito and the hot chick that plays Uhuru have been on the cover of every major entertainment pub (EW did collector edition covers with each of the stars last week) and incredibly a lot of the news weeklies, too (two weeks ago it was Newsweek’s cover story).
Erik Bana did the late night talk show circuit last week. John Cho was on Leno this week. Chris Pine was on Letterman and Fallon this week as well. There was just a segment on NPR that talked about the reason they are using Nimoy (besides being a cast member) is to legitimize the franchise with older Trek fans that might not be as open to the reinterpretation as young kids would be to the action, hot chicks, etc.
The PR/marketing is out there and Paramount has paid a TON on it (believe I know it was my life for seven years). If you aren’t feeling it then you aren’t in the right places (TV, pop culture sites, etc.).
oh this post came at the perfect time…especially since someone was running alllll over Manhattan on Friday to get star trek toys for the early show…someone walked three miles in that heat…
Just on a quick side note — I loved the new Star Trek.
Great post!