| Star Trek and pop culture |
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The following are Star Trek parodies and pop culture references that have been found in advertising.
Animal Friends Pet Insurance[]
The S.S. Enterpaws
In 2018, UK pet insurer Animal Friends released a thirty-second animated television advertisement promoting their insurance policies, during which a number of talking cats and dogs are floating in space dressed in spacesuits while tethered to a dog bone-shaped spaceship named "S.S. Enterpaws". [1] [2]
Bell Canada[]
A 2024 ad featured Bell's TV service as travelling at the speed of light in a ship resembling a Starfleet ship, with their adversaries only able to muster the much slower "cable speed". [3]
Cheer[]
Possibly the earliest Star Trek-themed commercial ever, Procter & Gamble released a television ad for their laundry detergent Cheer in 1969, depicting an alien character, resembling Spock and wearing a costume similar to an original Klingon uniform, beaming into an average American home. He shows a young mother how to clean her children's clothes perfectly by using Cheer, then beams away. The ad features Gerald Fried's fight theme from "Amok Time", as well as the turbolift, transporter, and red alert sound effects from Star Trek: The Original Series, and a soundbite of Spock taken from "Space Seed", claiming that "Superior ability breeds superior ambition". [4]
Cheerios[]
In 1987, Cheerios cereals released a television ad as part of a promotional campaign in which contestants could win a walk-on part on the new Star Trek: The Next Generation series. The ad depicted a child walking in to the bridge of the Enterprise-D and sitting down to the operations station, taking out the ship to warp. [5] The ad was filmed on 21 August 1987 on the bridge set at Paramount Stage 6. [6]
Cineplex[]
Popcorn bags are decorated with famous movie quotes, including "Resistance is futile" and "KHAAAAAAAN!".
Cocoa Pebbles[]
A 1992 cereal commercial features Barney dressed as Spock, trying to trick Fred into letting him have his cereal with a fake transporter. The Enterprise is also mentioned. [7] [8]
Commodore[]
In 1982, William Shatner appeared in a commercial for the Commodore VIC-20 computer, in which he beams into the scene reminiscent of the transporter. [9]
DirecTV[]
In 2006, broadcast satellite service company DirecTV released a television ad starring William Shatner, recreating his role from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, intercut with actual scenes from the movie. Shatner – as Kirk – claims that such a "big screen TV" like the main viewscreen of the Enterprise deserves true HD quality broadcast, and settling for cable would be "illogical". To Spock's curious look, he asks, "Can't I use that line?" [10]
The Foundation for a Better Life[]
A 2023 billboard campaign to promote exploring features William Shatner on a space backdrop with the words "Boldly Go." [11]
General Electric[]
- See General Electric
Gucci[]
For their Winter 2017 campaign, Italian luxury fashion company Gucci released an online video ad heavily inspired by 1960s science fiction, including an emphasis on Star Trek: The Original Series. The ad featured a recreation of the Enterprise bridge and transporter room, as well as a scene filmed at Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park. Besides Star Trek, the ad also referenced Forbidden Planet, Lost in Space, and Space: 1999. [12]
Heineken[]
In 1974, Dutch beer company Heineken created a billboard ad depicting an illustrated version of Spock drinking a glass of Heineken, which revives his drooping ears, turning them back to pointing upwards. The last of the three comic blocks adds the caption "Illogical", complete with the slogan "Heineken refreshes the parts other beers cannot reach".
The concept was the brainchild of copywriter Tony Brignull, who originally wanted to photograph Leonard Nimoy for the ad, but eventually, when they couldn't locate Nimoy, they decided to create an illustration instead. Nimoy himself didn't even know about the existence of the ad until Henry Fonda asked him during a dinner, how much did they pay him for it. Nimoy, furious that Paramount Pictures didn't pay any royalties to him for his likeness, sued the studio, and later used this matter as a bargaining position during contract negotiations for Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Nimoy agreed to look at the script if the case was settled, and an hour after receiving the check, the script arrived to his house. [13] [14]
Hewlett Packard Enterprise[]
In 2016, HPE made a commercial themed to Star Trek Beyond. [15] They also made use of product placement in the film.
Ikea[]
A 2012 Ikea commercial depicts a customer who believes she's semi-shoplifting when she checks her receipt and sees the low sale prices she's been charged. Music from TOS: "Amok Time" is used for her mad dash to her "getaway car".
KFC[]
In 2006, Kentucky Fried Chicken released a television ad recreating Star Trek: The Original Series via a combination of live actors and CGI. In the ad, the Enterprise bumps into a KFC restaurant in space, and Captain Kirk orders a redshirt crewmember to beam down and bring food to the crew. [16]
McDonalds[]
To advertise the new Yakki burger, McDonalds Japan created a 4D Star Trek parody in which "Spock", "Uhura", and "Kirk" discover a planet made up of the burger. [17]
MCI[]
In the early 1990s, the MCI Inc. telecommunications company released a television ad featuring the entire main cast of Star Trek: The Original Series, along with Jonathan Frakes, connected to each other on phone by creating a "family phone circle" offered by MCI. [18]
Oldsmobile[]
In 1989, Oldsmobile released a television commercial featuring Melanie Shatner and her father, William Shatner. Melanie says her father drives a starship, so it's natural for her to drive "something space age", adding that the new Oldsmobile Cutlass is "for the Next Generation". Then, her father beams to the passenger seat, and the two embark on a – literally – stellar drive. [19]
In 1991, Oldsmobile released another commercial, this time with Leonard Nimoy and his daughter, Julie Nimoy. Julie is driving through a futuristic landscape in an Oldsmobile convertible, while Nimoy beams in, and then beams out of the passenger seat. [20] Future popular comic book artist Alex Ross drew a pitch sketch of both Nimoys in Vulcan makeup, but feared doing this would make Leonard reconsider.
On[]
Zendaya appeared in a space-themed commercial for the sportswear company On with ears pointed like a Vulcan, prompting comparisons with Star Trek. [21]
Oreo[]
On September 8, 2012 Oreo unveiled a parody of the Enterprise as their Daily Twist. [22]
Paramount+[]
A Paramount+ ad features Star Trek: Strange New Worlds characters interacting with SpongeBob characters in a dream sequence. [23]
Title card
On April 24, 2025, Paramount+ promoted the third season of Strange New Worlds with a special short crossover with the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise.
It featured a version of the USS Enterprise that was the shape of a starfish. In this case, it was the Patrick Starship Enterprise.
A blooper reel was later released. [24]
Story[]
As a starfish shaped starship flies by, a voice can be heard saying, "These are the voyages of the Patrick Starship Enterprise."
Cheeks and Spock
Aboard the ship, Spock and Commander Cheeks stand on the bridge looking at the viewscreen. Cheeks is in awe and can only say: "Dang. Look at that." Spock then asks her what her status is. She immediately salutes and says, "Everything's peachy!" In the captain's chair, Captain Christopher Pike sits and gives the order: "Commence nautical nonsense."
Again, we see an exterior view of the ship, and the narrator continues: "It's mission: unclear."
Back inside the ship, Nyota Uhura appears to be at the helm station, although it's also apparently a barbecue grill that she is grilling Krabby Patty hamburgers on. She uses her spatula to flip the burger behind her toward the captain's chair, where the captain catches it, and then orders Krabs to "hit it." He then uses his big crab claw to push the button marked "Rear Boost," and immediately the rocket engages, and the ship picks up speed.
As the ship keeps getting faster, Cheeks says: "Jumping jellyfish!" The narrator continues saying: "It's crew: Unfazed!" Krabs then reports that there is a fire on the poop deck. Uhura addresses the lower decks to sound the foghorns. The ship is now apparently underwater, and the foghorns sound, which was apparently gas from Patrick when he farted. He immediately says: "Excuse me."
Back on the bridge, Pike asks for the whereabouts of Officer SquarePants. While in the transporter room, Spock is locking onto his biosign and about to beam him aboard. Spock then tells the captain that he has him. Meanwhile, the narrator continues by saying: "Boldly going, where no one has gone before!" Just then, SpongeBob materializes on the transporter pad. Spock gives him the Vulcan salute and says: "Greetings, SpongeRobert." SpongeBob then plays his nose like a flute and the image fades away.
At this point, we realize that Uhura had apparently dozed off. And the incident with SpongeBob and the other cartoon characters was apparently all just a dream. She then looks at Spock and says: "Weird dream!" At that Spock gestured the shape of a rainbow and said: "Perhaps it was your imagination."
Then, as we return to Uhura's imagination we see a final flyby of the Patrick Starship Enterprise, and this time another voiceover can be heard -- Brad Boimler saying: "Whether you like SpongeBob or Star Trek or both, find your mountain of entertainment on Paramount+!"
.jpg "Pike (Patrick Starship Enterprise).jpg (340 KB)")
.jpg "Pike and Uhura (Patrick Starship Enterprise).jpg (307 KB)")
Pizza Hut[]
In the early 1990s, Pizza Hut released a television commercial featuring a group of Klingons from a Bird-of-Prey transporting down to a Pizza Hut restaurant, wreaking havoc there, promoting a line of Star Trek: The Next Generation toys available to their menu. The commercial featured the name of the company in Klingonese as "Triqqa Pli'c". [25]
Powergen[]
During the early 1990s, UK power company Powergen released a Star Trek themed television ad promoting the sale of shares in the company. Actors William Shatner and James Doohan appeared as James T. Kirk and Montgomery Scott, respectively. The engineering and transporter room sets of the USS Enterprise-D were also used to represent the interior of the USS Enterprise-A. [26] [27] [28]
Samsung[]
In 2013, Samsung released a series of commercials to advertise their new Galaxy Gear wristwatch/phone device using clips from popular live-action shows, movies and cartoons such as Get Smart!, Dick Tracy, Predator and Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. Both commercials show off the wrist communicator worn by Kirk in Star Trek: The Motion Picture with the first one using a clip from the movie.
Space Channel[]
In the early 2000s, Space Channel, which were broadcasting all (then) five live-action Star Trek series at the same time, made a television ad, depicting a man asking an elderly woman to sign his petition to stop the airing of "all this Star Trek". The woman calls his son, who's dressed in full Klingon attire, and hearing what the man is petitioning for, knocks him out. Then, his mother, speaking to him in Klingonese, tells him to go to his quarters. [29]
Spence Diamonds[]
A radio spot makes reference to transporters and Star Trek.
SpongeBob SquarePants[]
There are 3 tracks in the show called "Star Trekkers 1" "Star Trekkers 2" and "Star Trekkers 3" composed by Steve Martson.
UPC Broadband[]
In 2007, the Hungarian branch of UPC Broadband telecommunications company released a series of television and print ads starring popular comedian András Szőke as "Captain Szőke", dressed up to an uniform and hairstyle similar to Spock, coming up with different futuristic gadgets in each ad, which turn out to be completely useless and never function. [30] [31] [32] [33] [34]
VHS Wien[]
In 2015, the Austrian language school, VHS Wien released a television ad featuring two Klingons riding a tram in Vienna. When an inspector approaches them to ask for their tickets, they laugh in her face and tell her to speak to them in Klingonese. However, as it turns out, she is fluent in their language and orders them to show her their tickets or get off. [35]
Walmart[]
The original USS Enterprise, as depicted in Star Trek: Discovery, appears for a few seconds in Walmart's 2020 Superbowl ad titled "Famous Visitors". [36]
Western Airlines[]
In 1985, Western Airlines released a television ad featuring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy traveling together on a plane, apparently on vacation. Nimoy tells Shatner that someone asked him why he's not driving the plane, to which he replied, "I'm not the captain". Then, a stewardess rolls in a cake resembling a volcano, to which Nimoy asks "Why does that look familiar?" Shatner says "'Cause we've been there", apparently referring to the Genesis planet. [37]
In a longer version of the commercial – apparently intended for cross-promotion – Nimoy reveals to Shatner that they are, in fact, on their way to filming Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home in San Francisco. He also reveals that the film will include time travel, and that it will be released on Christmas 1986, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of Star Trek. He gives Shatner a copy of the script, Shatner then – via the intercom – orders the pilot to go to warp speed, because they need to hurry. [38]
Xfinity[]
In 2014, cable, Internet and phone service company Xfinity released an ad for the annual Superbowl, featuring Zachary Quinto as Spock and Anton Yelchin as Pavel Chekov, beaming down to an Xfinity office and fascinated by the hi-tech broadcast technology they find there. After realizing that they're "really in the future", they beam away, taking an entire desk full of mobile phones and accessories with them. [39]
Other ads[]
- Two commercials for the Samsung Galaxy Gear watch showed off various wrist-mounted devices from popular franchises, Star Trek one of them.
- A commercial for Kure 5-56 rustproofing spray uses images from Into Darkness. [40]
- In 2015, a print ad for the job search website Workopolis made use of Spock's image to make a point about including hobbies on your resume.
- In 2013, a television commercial advertising Twizzlers licorice by The Hershey Company utilized an image of the USS Enterprise made of licorice candy, to suggest that their product is a good movie snack. The commercial showed the Enterprise shooting photon torpedoes portrayed as strawberries. [41]
- In 2016, a Superbowl ad for Mexican avocados featured Andorians among the aliens taking a tour of a museum. [42]