mini_yoda chimes in:

Not sure if you got this but it's a list of the 52 coolest brands in the UK, which includes an eclectic mix of brands like the Simpsons, Asahi beer, Ducati and of course Star Wars. The council is composed of a number of media savy people in the UK. Anyways here's their write-up for Star Wars:

Anyone who happened to be near the Odeon Leicester Square cinema on a certain night in the summer of 1977 could tell that something extraordinary was about to happen. Pre-teens bit their lips, wondering if the film could possibly be as good as they had heard. Inside the cinema, they watched words scroll up a star-filled screen.“A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…”The kids sat transfixed as they watched the space epic unfold.

They were watching Star Wars – the film that changed the movies. It confirmed to Hollywood that a movie was much more than just a couple of hours of celluloid – it was a whole ‘experience’. Star Wars has broken endless records: it’s the highest-grossing film saga (worldwide box office takings were $2.7 billion through Episode I), and it produced the biggest film-based merchandising programme (sales of $7 billion up until Episode II), and the best-selling male action toy and licensed book series ever (the books were translated into over 30 languages).

George Lucas, the film’s creator, is an innovator and perfectionist and has continuously pushed the boundaries of filmmaking. Most recently this was demonstrated in Episode II: Attack of The Clones, the first major motion picture to be shot completely digitally and projected digitally in over 100 theatres around the world.To bring his vision to life, Industrial Light & Magic was founded in 1975 to develop new techniques in model making, sound effects and computer graphics. ILM remains a leading visual effects brand, and was involved in virtually every special effects blockbuster of the 1980s and 1990s.

Other Lucas ventures include LucasArts Entertainment Company, an international developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software for PC and home console video game systems. Another is THX – a leader in quality assurance programmes, services and products for the entertainment and consumer electronics industries.

The three original films began with Star Wars (1977) – later subtitled Episode IV: A New Hope – and followed with The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983).Vast in scope and rich with original characters and worlds, the films celebrated heroism and the limitless potential of the individual.

The break between Return of the Jedi and the beginning of the second prequel trilogy, Episode I:The Phantom Menace in 1999, strengthened the original films’ classic status, and allowed a new generation of filmgoers to discover characters such as C3-PO, R2-D2 and Yoda.To prepare his audiences for the return of Star Wars, Lucas re-released the first trilogy in digitally enhanced versions. Then the website (starwars.com) was enhanced, with magazine stories about the new film, and special screenings of the trailers becoming ‘events’ in themselves.

Episode I was watched by 46% of the potential UK movie-going population. Episode II: Attack of the Clones was released in 2002 and developd the legend of Anakin Skywalker’s decent to the Dark Side and eventual transformation into the Darth Vader of the original trilogy. Episode III, set to launch in 2005, is now in pre-production.

Lucas says the new trilogy is ‘darker and more tragic’, but credible actors such as Ewan McGregor and Samuel L Jackson add a fresh coolness to the formula of fairy tale characters, clashing lightsabers and hurtling spacecraft.

Perhaps it’s down to the power of The Force, but 25 years on, Star Wars remains the biggest film franchise in existence.

The website is www.superbrands.org/coolbrandleaders.