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Comparing Franchising To the Star Wars Universe
The characters in the Star Wars universe have a lot in common with franchise brands.
The world of franchise brands is a galaxy unto itself. There are many brands out there that service a litany of needs and each company has their own singular corporate culture. It’s almost as if they are characters in a movie about a galaxy far, far away. With movie zealots coming out of the woodwork and advance screenings selling out faster than you can say scruffy-looking nerf herder, the fury over Star Wars: The Force Awakens has hit a fever pitch. To have a little fun with the release of Episode 7, we broke down the following brands to uncover their Star Wars counterparts:
Han Solo – Jimmy Johns
The Millennium Falcon is known as the fastest ship in the galaxy. I mean it made the kessel run in less 12 parsecs, so yeah it’s pretty fast. Getting somewhere fast, while being undetected is also the key goal of Jimmy Johns. The sandwich brand takes great pride in delivering products fast, just as Han Solo gets joy out of outrunning imperial stars ships.
Boba Fett – Johnny Rockets
When he first burst onto the screen, Boba Fett automatically became the coolest character in the Star Wars universe. Like a classic western antihero, he keeps a low profile, doesn’t speak much and lets his actions do the talking. And you can’t deny that his outfit is pretty awesome. Johnny Rockets has a similar looking cool exterior, but they let their stand out menu items do the talking for them.
Chewbacca – Sports Clips Haircuts
With his long, shaggy look, there is no reason why Chewbacca would not fit in perfectly with Sports Clips. Wookies usually don’t require a full buzz, but you have to imagine Chewie and his crew receive some sort of monthly trim to keep that luscious coat looking so good.
Jabba the Hutt – Your Pie
The Tattoine crime boss exudes hedonism. With a house band and endless amounts of food at his disposal, it’s no wonder why he indulges in this excess.Your Pie takes great satisfaction in offering their clientele every type of topping under the sun. Customers can put a blend of meat, cheese, veggies and other toppings on their pies and that is the same type of indulgence Jabba the Hutt takes part in.
Darth Vader - Arc Point
The Sith Lord wouldn’t have so many conflicted feelings if he was able to use Arc Point's technology to figure out who his children were.
Yoda – Best in Class
The Jedi Master is one of the most insightful and patient characters in this film franchise. His stunning intellect and sometimes backwards proverbs helped shape Luke Skywalker into a formidable Jedi Master. While the employees at Best in Class are not masters of the Force like Yoda is, they do help all young padiwans achieve their personal best.
Luke Skywalker – Honest-1 Auto Care
Like the auto care brand, Luke Skywalker is a straight shooter. The prodigal son of Tatooine is an honest guy who is concerned with getting the job done. Honest-1 is a top of the line auto care franchise that is destined to give its customers spectacular service. No drama, no confusion, just an honest day's work is provided.
Jawas – 1-800-Got-Junk
Jawas haul junk away. Not much more can be said.
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About the Author
Nick Powills
FollowNick Powills, CFE, founded No Limit Agency in 2008 and serves as Chief Brand Strategist for the Chicago-based firm. No Limit is a full-service communications agency that establishes and elevates brands by bridging Public Relations, Social Media, Marketing, Advertising, Digital, and a lot of creativity, to best strategize well-rounded and successful campaigns for 50+ global franchise brands. By presenting visionary ideas and building real relationships, No Limit is able to create effective media branding strategies to help companies grow. Nick currently leads a staff of writers, media strategists, designers, social media experts and digital producers in an office think-tank where brands are humanized for strong, compelling media stories. Prior to starting No Limit at the age of 27, Nick spent four years working at a franchise PR agency where he mastered the art of building rapport with media outlets and creating newsworthy pitches for earned media placements. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Drake University in Iowa.
