television
12/18/2006
Miller Beer Peels It Off
Commercials have always been the place for visual effects wizards to try out new techniques. But in the years since the 1998 Gap ad that froze swing dancers in mid-step, we've all gotten a little blase about what a skilled artist can do with 3-D imaging. The wonder is gone, leaving us with a "hey, cool, whatever" attitude.
So if you sent this European ad for Miller beer back in a time machine to the year 1997, those primitive monkeys would be dazzled -- but they're blissfully ignorant of ten years of digital evolution. As for us advanced spacemen, this is a clever enough commercial with a great deal of charm (most of which is not found in the FX, but in the gesticulating eyebrows of its star) that nonetheless barely bothers to make a point.
Thanks to the hipster fashions and spiffy visuals, this is a great example of an ad that sells by projecting an aura of cool. It never bothers to make the obvious connection between peeling away things you don't like and peeling the labels of beer you're not really enjoying. Perhaps we're just supposed to learn that beer is cool? Not that we needed CGI to teach us that.
11/29/2006
Cingular: You'll Run Your Bill Up
Over the past decade, A Christmas Story has earned it's spot as the holiday film you just can’t help but watch; the film airs hundreds of times during the holiday season. With classic lines like “You’ll shoot your eye out kid” and “Frag-i-le, must be Italian” seeping into the mainstream, the movie is referenced year round.
A spin on Ralphie’s constant nagging and the film’s classic quote “You’ll shot you eye out kid,” this cell phone commercial adds a modern twist by combining footage from the movie with newly recorded voiceover. This Christmas, Ralphie wants a Motorola phone “with texting, games, and graphics.” The adult response to his Christmas wishes is “You’ll run the bill up.” It’s a good thing Cingular cell phone came to Ralphie’s rescue -- otherwise, he may start asking for a hard-to-find gifts like a PSP or Nintendo Wii.
11/14/2006
Xbox Cops and Robbers
In a closed course-game of “good guys” and “bad guys”, every one has a chance to put on a badge or ski mask and wreak havoc. Weaving through traffic and jumping off buildings, at the end of round one… they switch? Is this what people did before the advent of 3D video games?
This made-for-TV game of hide-and-seek is nothing short of child’s play. Created for Microsoft's Xbox 360 “Jump In” campaign, this spot shows a group of adults playing a full-scale game of cops and robbers.
Kids, don’t try this at home.
