MANILA – As the world prepares for the premiere of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Publicis JimenezBasic and Globe Telecoms have crafted a campaign with a twist as strong as The Force.
The ad begins with a girl walking to school with her older brother. It’s a bit peculiar though that the girl named Alex (as indicated on her school nametag) is wearing a Stormtrooper helmet while her brother wears a Stormtrooper hoodie.
On the way to school, Alex extends her hand to stop jeepneys and cars from advancing as an old lady crosses the street, mimicking Force-wielders like the Jedi and Sith. As they enter their school grounds where a sign says “No ID, no entry,” an elderly security guard beholds the pair of Stormtroopers, they show their school IDs and are allowed entry.
The siblings are given curious looks in the school hallway for their attire by both students and teachers alike. Alex takes her seat in the classroom but keeps her Stormtrooper helmet on even as her teacher gives a knowing smile as she begins to write on the blackboard.
Back home, Alex still wears her white helmet even as she and her brother shoot water guns and trim a plant to resemble the ominous Death Star. They ride bikes with attachments to make them look like Speeder Bikes as those seen in Return of the Jedi, they dance, and march as any proud Stormtrooper would. Alex’s brother even projects the trailer for Rogue One on their wall as they excitedly wait for its screening.
Another school day begins and the siblings go through the same motions, but there’s a difference on this day. As Alex enters her classroom, she’s surprised to find all her classmates are wearing similar Stormtrooper helmets. The screen then shows that Alex wears a breathing apparatus and a respirator which she hides under her helmet.
As tears well in her eyes, her classmates embrace her as the words “Create. Courage.” and “Create. Wonderful.” are flashed onscreen. The spot ends with the Rogue One logo indicating it begins screening in the Philippines on December 15, followed by the Globe logo.
Already generating buzz online, the Globe spot by Publicis JimenezBasic speaks to the universal appeal of Star Wars as well as how the movie franchise has given courage and inspiration to people facing long odds.
Rogue One is set before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and tells the story of how a small band of rebels secured the plans to the Death Star that led to Luke Skywalker and the rest of the Rebel Alliance’s Battle on Yavin IV with the Galactic Empire.
