But I’m a motoring journalist, there are very few cars in fictional space movies (Spaceballs is one exception that comes to mind), so what do Harrison Ford and Holden have in common?
In the car industry, brand alliances are one of the keys to connecting with customers. Partnerships are formed for many reasons, including to generate publicity, increase brand awareness through celebrity endorsements, or to align aspirational elements that attract people seeking to attain or reinforce a specific status or lifestyle.
Holden has earned itself a cult-like following in Australia, the early days of the V8 Supercar Championships fuelling the Holden vs Ford battle that continues to this day and nurtured hardcore brand fanatics.
Us Aussie’s are quite patriotic and loyal to homegrown brands, but as Holden moves to shut down local manufacturing, it also has to deal with the subsequent change in perception from the public. Star Wars is a master when it comes to creating fanatical fan bases, so regardless of whether it’s the similarity that can be drawn between the loyalty of each swarm of followers, or purely the fun factor, Holden and Star Wars actually have a lot in common.
Recent research from Exponential found that the typical Star Wars fan is a young male with an interest in technology and The partnership involves a number of public relations activations. V8 Supercars with Chewbacca and new bad-guy Kylo Ren emblazoned on them hit the track at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 in October, and last week a Star Wars: The Force Awakens fan event was held at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt, with crowds flocking to catch a glimpse of Hollywood heavy-weight Harrison Ford – and believe me, even at 73 years-old, he’s still got it.
While Harrison Ford was walking the red carpet, greeting fans, signing autographs and posing for selfies, as part of the festivities the 2016 Holden Captiva made its public debut.
Just like many of the fans in attendance, the Captiva was also dressed for the occasion with livery depicting the BB-8 Droid adorning the sides of the vehicle. BB-8 is a new robotic character, making its debut in this, the 7th installment of the Star Wars saga.
The Holden and Star Wars association had some die-hard fans in a tizzy. One couple we spoke to had driven six-hours from Tamworth, equally excited to see both the Captiva and Harrison Ford.
The front-end of the new Captiva has had a facelift, sporting a new grille, LED daytime running lights, and redesigned fog-light housing.
Minor changes to the exterior include body-coloured wheel arches and side-steps. The interior has been freshened up with a new steering wheel and revamped dash featuring gloss black and satin silver finishes while updates to Holden’s MyLink infotainment system add Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality.
The Captiva 5 and Captiva 7 model names have been retired and consolidated, it’ll now be known simply as the Captiva, available as a five or seven-seater. It’s been around for almost a decade, and Holden remains tight-lipped on what will replace the Captiva.
After checking out the car, it was time to line-up along the red carpet. Harrison Ford arrived in a Holden Caprice and spent a lot of time interacting with the crowds who had literally been waiting for hours.
Like I will be tonight… because I forgot to pre-purchase my movie ticket.
So did displaying the new Captiva in that environment work for Holden? Yes and no, with the exception of a few (like our new friends from Tamworth) nothing could turn the heads of Star Wars fans for more than a second when Hans Solo is in the house. But like little Jenny in Gossip Girl, there was a tangible moment of ‘cool by association’.
