There needs to be some clarification here too.....LOTR didn't have action figures, games, rubbers and coffins marketed with LOTR on it. Star Wars is marketed through nearly every means possible.

Perhaps it was the lack of all that marketing that contributed to LOTR being viewed as reverently as it was. Now, I know SW has always been about marketing products, but all that was background noise during the OT. It ENHANCED the whole experience. When the PT came along, the marketing was really out of sight. I remember it quite well. I do think it was a bit overkill and I think that combined with the PT not being as good as the OT kinda killed SW in the eyes of the general populace.