Leonard Nimoy Was a Marketing Genius — Here’s Why

Leonard Nimoy was best known for playing Spock on the 1960s "Star Trek" TV series, but he was also an accomplished actor. Despite his other accolades, I think many people didn't just think of him as Spock -- they honestly believed he was Spock. He owned that role. When an opportunity came to show his other talents, his genius flourished.

Then, as now, it was common for celebrities to sing -- no matter how good or bad they were at it. Since they didn't have YouTube and Twitter back in the '60s, they had variety shows where celebrities known for one thing would show up and showcase something else to prove they had personality or talent beyond what audiences expected.

In this case I'm guessing Leonard Nimoy figured he could capitalize on something -- the 'if this, then that' theory. Stereotypically if you like anime, you probably also like video games. If you like rodeos and NASCAR, you probably also like country music.

Leonard Nimoy, owning up to the fact that his fans were probably "Star Trek" fans, also probably liked the "Lord of the Rings" universe. So, what did he do? He recorded a song talking about the heroic exploits of Bilbo Baggins from J.R.R. Tolkin's "The Hobbit."

Enjoy!