FWIW: I'm all for this idea and I'd gladly contribute a respectable sum of money.

Lets do this.

NeverarGreat said:

This is a good idea. Let's have no negativity about how the media will spin this, it's a valid and worthy goal.

I would be willing to contribute to this, but you'd need plenty of help. The cost seems to be in the 16,000 dollar range now:

http://www.gaebler.com/Variety-magazine-advertising-costs++39329

 

Well, that's 3,200 x $5 or 4,000 x $4. It doesn't sound too bad when using those numbers, lol...

SilverWook said:

I think it would be wise to research what form of ad this should take. "Print is dead" in the view of some people.

Good point! Hmmm...

Negativity hat not on but practicality hat at a jaunty angle, this requires a single account holder (preferably in the US to reduce problems placing the ad) we can trust with what to you and me is a large sum of money.

There is another possibility which may raise more awareness than the ad alone.

Why not have a Kickstarter for the Ad (do they fund this sort of thing)?

That way the Kickstarter campaign creates publicity, then the Ad itself builds on it.

There may not be a better time to do this what with the Episode 7 buzz and Harmy's despecialisations recently getting a shout out from J.J's pal Simon Pegg.

Disney and the new regime at Lucasfilm seem to be want to be seen to be doing the right thing at the moment.

Can you raise money for something like that on Kickstarter? I feel like it's meant more for projects, not to raise money for buying an advertisement. But I hope I'm wrong, because if it gets posted there it could go viral beyond what we'd be able to do on our own.

edit- and Kickstarter typically requires you to have incentives for donations, yeah? I mean I'd bet we could come up with some but that's something to consider. Might be worth looking at some alternative websites like these if that's the direction we want to go.

I have no idea if Adywan would even be interested... but I have a feeling he would be the single person we'd all be most comfortable with handling the finances, considering his experience working with Revisited. Expanding that to his second/third unit could keep it in the US.

As for kickstarter... I don't see prizes being as acceptable in this situation. The entire point is to avoid any "imperial entanglements". It would have to be limited to "get your name on the front page of OT.com" and things like that. But perhaps I'm being too cautious...

Incentives could be something like being a named in the ad, owning a print of the ad, owning the original art for the ad (that sort of thing).

If we went with SilverWook's idea for a billboard or two the incentives could be to be on the poster, design the poster, keep the art or a copy of the poster. There could even be a pamphlet about the billboard/ad project which would fall under the Kickstarter publishing category that way the billboard/ad could be vectored into the project cost. 

Considering how collectable these things can be I could imagine some people going even for that.

I think we should give the money to Jay.  Sure, we might not ever see it again, but we might finally get that forum update he's been promising. ;-)

Someone could propose making a short film, The Jason Sylvester Story which could play at Cannes.

I imagine it would be cheaper than Iron Sky.

Lots of Kickstarter incentive potential there.

I wanna play VFP.

I call Frink!

Not only is there a Kickstarter campaign to get a Death Star built there is now one to get a squadron of X-Wings built.

I think we have a better shot at this.

doubleofive said:

I call Frink!

Aw, I should have thought of that one.

But really though this is a great idea and it should in theory only take one of us to step up and hold onto the money, if Kickstarter/Indiegogo/whatever doesn't pan out. It's just a matter of getting the idea outside of the OT.com bubble.

BUMP

I'm surprised this didn't gather more steam. :(

Baronlando said:

It feels like people are optimistic that it won't be necessary under the new regime. But nobody wants to say it out loud, like it's a timid deer that could get scared off.

I agree. Well said.

Now what can we do about it?

How about making a video trailer to Disney and putting it on Youtube?

Youtube would probably take it down if it has anything recognisable as Star Wars in it.

I suggest we hide our identity behind acid blotters.