Made In Hollywood-Chapter 920: Shopping Frenzy

Even with so many fans lining up half a month in advance to secure their seats, it wasn’t considered newsworthy in the eyes of the North American media. To them, this was far too normal.

"No one can deny that the Star Wars franchise, built over more than thirty years, has forged itself into a top-tier commercial IP. If this IP is then combined with another top-tier super IP — Duke Rosenberg — then any result that exceeds expectations won’t be surprising at all..."

A review from The New York Times even commented, "Star Wars plus Duke Rosenberg — the global box office will undoubtedly start at two billion dollars. Anything less than that can only be considered a failure."

As the release date drew closer, countless fans across the United States were preparing to welcome the film, while Warner Bros. and Lucasfilm’s marketing campaign grew even more intense. Nearly two hundred million dollars had already been invested in early promotion alone.

A film like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, with its strong audience base and cultural legacy, relied more on internet and offline channels to promote the brand itself, barely touching on the story or characters.

But Duke would never allow even the slightest slack in marketing efforts. He instructed producers Charles Roven and Robin Grande to adopt more ARG-style (Alternate Reality Game) techniques to create suspense and amplify the audience’s curiosity about the story and its characters, ultimately drawing them into theaters.

There was no doubt — getting audiences to buy tickets was the sole purpose of all marketing and promotional work.

In this internet age, people constantly face the onslaught of consumerism, while information overload and the omnipresence of mobile media have gradually dulled their attention toward works and content themselves. What Duke aimed to do was to pull their focus back — reigniting curiosity, the urge to watch, and ultimately, the desire to consume.

To live in such a prosperous, fast-developing era — one had to admit — was a kind of fortune.

However, Star Wars: The Force Awakens wasn’t targeting only the North American market. It faced the much broader global market, where the differences between countries and regions were tangible realities that couldn’t be ignored. Naturally, the marketing strategy had to differ accordingly.

Cultural differences were undeniable. Cultural backgrounds determined how The Force Awakens would be promoted in different regions — especially in the Far East, where Japan, South Korea, and China represented incredibly important markets for Hollywood.

In the South Korean market, Lucasfilm and Warner Bros. discovered a key trend: seasoned South Korean audiences preferred to localize imported blockbusters, creating interpretations suited to their own culture.

Japanese audiences had long followed and adored the Star Wars series. Lucasfilm even tailored a special The Force Awakens trailer exclusively for Japan.

But in China, Star Wars fever was nowhere near as strong as in South Korea or Japan. So — what could be done?

Given Duke and the Star Wars brand’s natural dominance and appeal in the North American market, Warner Bros. began to ramp up its efforts in China starting that December aiming to create an utterly insane marketing effect.

Duke also personally oversaw the creation of a special Chinese trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The trailer not only emphasized Daniel Wu’s leading role but also featured more large-scale battle scenes to cater to the preferences of Chinese audiences.

At the same time, online controversy was deliberately stirred up in Greater China — highlighting the differences between the Chinese and international versions of the trailer to attract clicks and attention.

Having a Chinese actor as one of the absolute leads in a top-tier Hollywood blockbuster was bound to catch the eyes of countless Chinese moviegoers.

And that was only one part of The Force Awakens’ China campaign. Starting in December, a flood of Star Wars: The Force Awakens–related events appeared before Chinese audiences in extremely high frequency.

With the film’s release still some time away, Warner Bros. Greater China took the lead with BB-8 — using the adorable droid to "melt the hearts of all China"! By introducing this new character early, they seized the advantage. BB-8’s popularity in China skyrocketed.

From one month before the film’s release, Warner Bros. Greater China continuously hosted Star Wars immersive re-creation events. Offline exhibitions rolled out successively across major cities and commercial districts nationwide, featuring a variety of The Force Awakens installations.

As the release approached, a wave of Chinese co-branded Star Wars merchandise flooded the market. At the same time, Warner Bros. Greater China targeted China’s 800 million internet users by partnering with Penguin Company to broaden its digital marketing channels.

Then came celebrity influence — signing China’s most popular idols as brand ambassadors for the film’s local promotion.

It had to be said: Lucasfilm and Warner Bros. had poured tremendous creativity into Star Wars’ entertainment marketing.

To build momentum for the new film, they boldly broke away from traditional marketing patterns and sought collaborations beyond the film industry — leveraging cross-brand partnerships to amplify the film’s promotional reach.

The greatest strength of entertainment marketing lies in blending unrelated elements — allowing them to penetrate and fuse with one another — thereby giving the brand depth and dimensionality. Duke firmly believed that these strategies would provide massive support for Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ marketing and overall brand success.

At the same time, Duke sent Tina Fey personally to China to work with local media partners in crafting further marketing strategies.

Duke understood well that although Lucasfilm and Warner Bros. had spent the past few years promoting the previous six films, many Chinese viewers had still never seen them. It wasn’t a problem if they hadn’t watched the earlier films — what worried him most was that some might not even understand the Star Wars universe at all. Such audiences, after watching The Force Awakens, would not generate good word of mouth.

Therefore, the most fundamental task before Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Chinese release was basic audience education — Tina Fey’s primary mission on this trip.

Soon after Tina Fey arrived in China, local media and online platforms released a special viewing guide personally written by Duke himself —

"Seven Things You Should Know Before Watching Star Wars: Episode VII."

That was the title Duke came up with. Perhaps the content he wrote didn’t necessarily reflect the true essence of the previous six Star Wars films, but it was a specially customized version tailored to the Chinese market and its mainstream moviegoers.

"All over the world, movie fans have suddenly started talking about Star Wars again. This badass sci-fi franchise has returned! At the beginning of January 2015, the seventh installment, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, is about to be released in China. This series once influenced countless filmmakers and directors. The reason we can now enjoy exciting Hollywood blockbusters owes a great deal to the Star Wars saga."

"The long-standing Star Wars franchise is about to come alive once again, and this time Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens will continue directly from Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. For those who haven’t had time to revisit the first six episodes, please pay close attention to the following content."

’First: What are the stories of the first six Star Wars films?’

"Episodes I–III of Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy mainly tell the story of the exceptionally gifted Anakin Skywalker — how he grows from a pure boy into the dark enforcer of the evil empire, Darth Vader. The original Episodes IV–VI, however, follow his son Luke Skywalker and his companions as they resist the tyranny of the Empire and ultimately bring peace to the galaxy."

"In simpler terms, the main plot of the first six episodes can be summed up as: ’The father rose to power and reached a twisted peak of life, only for his brat of a son to blow up his entire workplace.’ On that foundation, the struggle between the Light and Dark Sides of the Force, the political battles among factions, the love and hate between the protagonists, the imaginative cultures of an infinite universe, and the dazzling array of droids and starships — all these are what make the Star Wars saga so fascinating."

’Second: The few famous characters you absolutely need to know.’

"The Jedi Knights — they wield lightsabers that are not red, and they’re basically the good guys. The most famous among them include Master Yoda, the little green creature who could easily rely on cuteness but insists on proving himself with skill; and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin’s master and later Luke’s mentor. If you want to join the good side, take note: when you cosplay, do not pick a red lightsaber."

’Third: Why is Star Wars such a dominating force in Western pop culture?’

"Simply put, Star Wars has influenced nearly every blockbuster director working today. Giants such as Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, and Luc Besson have all been deeply inspired by it. The renowned director Duke Rosenberg himself is a lifelong fan of the series — he received his earliest film education on the Star Wars set."

"The Star Wars saga also pioneered an entire era of film industry development. Director George Lucas founded Industrial Light & Magic in 1975 because of Star Wars, creating the modern visual effects industry that remains a global leader today. Star Wars is one of the most profitable film franchises in history, with an enormous array of spin-off products. The Western audiences who walked into cinemas in the 1970s have now settled down and started families — their passion for Star Wars has already been passed down to the second and even third generations. In everyday life across Europe and America, Star Wars cultural elements appear as casually as you might use oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar in cooking."

To spark the interest of Chinese audiences and generate an explosive box-office performance in what had become the world’s second-largest market, Duke — together with Lucasfilm and Warner Bros. — racked their brains for strategies.

Especially in the final section of these "seven key points," Duke deliberately mentioned a recurring gag frequently seen in mainstream North American commercial films.

That gag originated directly from the Star Wars franchise and gradually evolved into a unique cinematic trend.

"Why is it that the frequent ’hand-chopping scenes’ seen in modern North American films all trace back to Star Wars, which started and spread this bad habit?"

...

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