Why 'The Last Jedi' Marketing Has More Emotional Punch Than 'The Force Awakens' Trailers Did

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Star Wars: The Last Jedi’s marketing campaign is kicking into high gear as we inch ever closer to its December 15th release date. The film has already released a couple of full-length trailers, plus its most recent TV spot that aired during the final World Series game. You can check out that quick 45 second teaser spot below:

What's so noticeable about The Last Jedi's marketing campaign is how dread-inducing and emotional it feels. Here's why.

'The Force Awakens' Relied More On Nostalgia

It’s become clear that #TheForceAwakens had a ton of similar story beats that most fans couldn’t help but compare to A New Hope's. Some of these include a desert planet like Tatooine (Jakku), a droid sent on a mission to deliver a message (BB-8), or a Cantina bar that houses beings from all over the galaxy in one location (Maz Kanata’s Castle).

One of the biggest marketing moments was showcasing the Millennium Falcon along with its pilots Han Solo and Chewbacca. By far the most popular scene from the marketing campaign was when Han and Chewie stepped into the Falcon, with Han proclaiming, “Chewie, we’re home.”

This line made a lot of fans (including myself) emotional, as it welcomed #StarWars back for all generations of fans. This line, however, was the only part that got fans really choked up over the opening of an anticipated Star Wars movie. It appears that #TheLastJedi is doing something a bit different. Let me explain…

The Last Jedi Trailers Focus More On Emotional Beats Than Plot Beats

In all of the trailers and TV spots thus far, Lucasfilm is relying heavily on emotionally resonant moments without giving away too much of the plot. It seems clear that a lot of these trailers are deceiving us for a reason. We are made to believe that Rey may be fighting Luke at one point while eventually turning to the dark side to join Kylo Ren. The trailers have done a fantastic job of giving us more questions than answers ever since that first teaser that debuted during Star Wars Celebration. That teaser had Luke ominously stating, “It’s time for the Jedi to end.”

This line is presented without context. We know that Luke has already tried to jumpstart the Jedi Order and failed to do so when he lost Kylo Ren to the dark side. He certainly doesn’t want to make the same mistake twice. But is he alluding to something else, a new way of wielding the Force? Because of our uncertainty, we feel both trepidation and hope.

The second trailer shows Luke in a dark place. While the first trailer gave us Luke second-guessing Rey’s ambition, this trailer clearly shows Luke training Rey, despite his own doubts. He exclaims:

“I’ve seen this raw strength before. It didn’t scare me enough then. It does now.”

This provides us with even more doubt about where the plot is going. The trailers almost make you believe that Luke may face off with Rey at one point.

The Most Recent TV Spot Has Luke Reminiscing About His Days On The Falcon

The latest TV spot that aired during the World Series game gave us a surprising amount of new footage — with Luke being the focal point once again. The spot immediately opens up with Luke stepping foot on the Millennium Falcon, the first time since he was rescued by Lando, Chewie and Princess Lea while hanging on for dear life at the base of Cloud City in The Empire Strikes Back.

Now over 30 years later, Luke is once again setting foot on the Falcon remembering the good times and the bad. This is a scene that truly delivers an emotional gut punch, and one that is necessary for the marketing to have. It most likely takes place at the very beginning of the film, and may be one that helps change Luke's mind about training Rey.

‘The Last Jedi’ Will Continue The Emotional Journey Of These Characters

Lucasfilm and Disney have been very careful about not giving away too many plot points. As a result, they are purposely misdirecting us by putting these trailers together in a way that plays to our heartstrings. Fans are asking plenty of questions and for good reasons.