Enterprising minds at City Hall tap Shatner for Amazon pitch
Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office beamed up a William Shatner-narrated pitch video for Amazon officials who were in Chicago this week to scout possible locations for the nationally coveted HQ2.
The 95- second video begins with white specks ethereally floating against a black background before the words “Amazon makes its second city The Second City” move to the forefront.
Shatner works to establish parallels between Chicago’s history — rebuilding after the fire in 1871 — and Amazon’s humble beginnings in a garage in 1994.
“Before the architects finished the plans, we began rebuilding and reinventing ourselves as an economic powerhouse; a thriving ecosystem of transit and tech; an icon of culture and community; and a destination for doers and dreamers alike,” Shatner says, as rapid fire shots of Chicago’s expressways, architecture and notable city landmarks flash on the screen.
“But, here’s the thing: We’ve still got the fire in us, and you’ve still got the garage in you,” he adds.
City Hall tapped Shatner — best known for his role as Capt. James T. Kirk— because Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is an avid fan of Star Trek.
The visit from Amazon leaders was kept under lock and key.
S ources told the Chicago Sun- Times last week that Amazon had carved out time to visit the Lincoln Yards site that includes the old Finkl Steel plant among 100 acres along the Chicago River; the 78, a 62acre site at Roosevelt and Clark once owned by convicted felon Tony Rezko where Gov. Bruce Rauner dreams of building an innovation center led by the University of Illinois; and the fast- growing and transformed Fulton Market District.