…and why I think "Transformers" may have finally gotten it right.

In our hyper, media-saturated world, there is always the danger of overexposure. "Snakes on a Plane" has become a marketer's cautionary tale of too much too soon. The massive buzz peaked far too early, and many people were as weary of the hype as they were of hearing about Paris Hilton's blurry sex tape. As brilliant as the "Snakes" campaign proved to be, it simply could not live up to the promise of the hype. (Or the promise of the blurry sex tape, for that matter.) By the time the film opened, it had already been parodied to death. Many people, myself included, felt as though they had already seen it.

This is why "Transformers," one of the hottest, high-profile properties in recent history, has deliberately maintained a low profile. The campaign played first to a core of loyalists and true believers by quietly feeding them tantalizing clips and juicy pics through various channels before the first onslaught of summer flicks ("Spidey" and "Pirates"). The film is now rising up from the sidelines presumably to own the July 4 weekend. Yes, the new line of movie-themed action figures have been in stores for months and the trailers have been quietly gathering momentum on and offline, but the actual hyperbole has been low key. As a result, no one seems tired of the film yet, and many more will be intrigued. Paramount's website for the film is an exercise in simplicity and restraint.

It has polarized the essential conflict of the film -- protect/destroy -- as its jump-off point, but it remains elegant, efficient and awe-inspiring throughout the journey. The whole story is never revealed on the site, so we are left wanting more.

The take-away: Tease. Tantalize. Don't desensitize… Because as the great Lili St. Cyr once said, "There's more than meets the eye." Or maybe that was Optimus Prime.