Anyone who thought William Shatner would disappear from Priceline TV ads is mad

July 5, 2012 By 2 Comments

Was Priceline REALLY going to kill off William Shatner as the frontman its long-running TV ads? Of course not, it was probably just another chapter in the campaign.

The obituaries were wide ranging for Shatner as The Negotiator in the aftermath of his “final ad” was being aired in January this year, when the former-Captain Kirk of Star Trek fame tumbled off a bridge – apparently to his death.

But anyone that has seen how Shatner and Priceline have become synonymous with each other over the years, and understand how the Priceline marketing (both above and below the line) machine works, would predict that there was always going to be more to come.

Kill off the star man; trigger rounds of coverage in multiple forms of media (B2B marketing titles, mainstream media, blogs, etc); then slowly bring him back to life; cue more coverage, etc, etc.

Even in April this year, three months after his tragic – but probably temporary – death, a grinning CEO and president Jeff Boyd, during an interview with CNBC when asked about a possible return, said: “We will have to wait and see what happens to Mr Shatner.”

And, lo and behold, it looks like Shatner’s opportunity for a resurrection is starting to kick in.

Priceline just released a new TV ad featuring – you got it – the ghost of Shatner:

Related posts:

  1. Why William Shatner Priceline Negotiator character had to die
  2. CanaryHop wants comedian Andy Samberg to be what William Shatner was to Priceline
  3. Priceline unveils new ad campaign with Shatner and Kareem
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Kevin May About Kevin May

Kevin May is editor of Tnooz. He joined as a co-founder in August 2009 after spending nearly four years as editor of UK-based business publication Travolution.

Passionate about the business of travel and the internet, Kevin played a major role in establishing Travolution in print, online, events and with an annual awards programme, as well as becoming a regular speaker and moderator at industry events.

Prior to Travolution, Kevin was web editor at Media Week (UK) and also worked in regional newspapers for two years at the Essex Enquirer. He started his career in journalism at the Police Gazette at New Scotland Yard in London.

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  1. WATCH: The Negotiator Returns To Priceline Ads | Le monde de l'information says:
    July 5, 2012 at 4:40 pm

    [...] Industry site Tnooz writes that the new round of buzz-building advertising makes perfect sense for the travel search company: Anyone that has seen how Shatner and Priceline have become synonymous with each other over the years, and understand how the Priceline marketing … machine works, would predict that there was always going to be more [Shatner] to come. Ce contenu a été publié dans news world. Vous pouvez le mettre en favoris avec ce permalien. ← Was This Man The True Heir To The British Throne? Roy Speckhardt: Five Recommendations for a New Politeness → [...]

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  2. WATCH: The Negotiator Returns To Priceline Ads | Le monde de l'information says:
    July 5, 2012 at 7:09 pm

    [...] Industry site Tnooz writes that the new round of buzz-building advertising makes perfect sense for the travel search company: Anyone that has seen how Shatner and Priceline have become synonymous with each other over the years, and understand how the Priceline marketing … machine works, would predict that there was always going to be more [Shatner] to come. Ce contenu a été publié dans news world. Vous pouvez le mettre en favoris avec ce permalien. ← Was This Man The True Heir To The British Throne? WATCH: Soledad O’Brien Grills Obama Spokesman → [...]

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