Gaffer Tape said:

Yeah, but if you consider Uhura's role in other Star Trek media, I found it quite odd how pushed to the forefront she was in this one. I mean, she was touted as more a major character than Bones! Not that it's bad to see Uhura actually do something, but I do get the impression (from that and the taking off her top scene) that they wanted a hot woman on the movie poster.

EDIT: Or maybe I'm looking into that from the wrong angle, and maybe they just wanted a forced love triangle, and, digging into the Smurfette Principle, she's the only girl, so it had to be her.

Or maybe they wanted a strong female role this time around and Uhura was the only major female character in TOS?