Star Wars: the marketing forces awaken

The Church of England's valiant bid to run an advertisement featuring the Lord's Prayer before the forthcoming Star Wars film may have hit a snag following Odeon, Vue and Cineworld's refusal to run it, but for an eclectic range of other blockbuster piggybackers the campaign continues.

Ahead of the release of Disney's Star Wars: The Force Awakens next month (advance bookings for the first shows are selling out quickly), Google is facilitating users who want to embrace their inner Jedi or Sith with a tool that lets them customise the appearance of their apps. In practice, this exciting development means Google Maps with an X-wing or a TIE fighter as a cursor, while YouTube's progress bar can take on a lightsabre effect.

In further proof that in 2015 Christmas reindeer jumpers are unimpressively passé, the Penneys/Primark range of Star Wars-themed apparel includes a Chewbacca onesie, while other terribly practical merchandise available online includes the Star Wars Death Star waffle maker, the Star Wars Darth Vader toaster and the Star Wars R2D2 kitchen timer with rotating head.

Walt Disney is chuckling in his grave.