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In today's entertainment industry, the money isn't just in the movie; it's in the franchise. A year after the release of the third movie, Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy reportedly reached more than $1.2 billion in sales of Middle-earth-related merchandise alone. With a number like that, it's not surprising that as The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey packs theaters around the world, companies are scrambling to slap the furry-footed Shire dweller on everything they sell. The dubious examples of Hobbit-related promotional wizardry assembled here show just how much magical thinking sometimes goes through marketers' heads as they try to get their pieces of merchandising gold.
