Ads I can watch twice

We went to see James Bond last night. If your first response to that is dissapproval, I recommend seeing. This is the Bond "reboot." More serious, darker, more aware and mostly rid of the spy fantasy world the franchise had created for itself. While it may be a tad long, it was worth the money for the ticket.

Anyway, since I don't have TV nor do I get out much, I was excited to see a few of the ads yesterday played prior to the movie. I love advertising that feels fresh--that feels like it's earned my attention and the emotional response it got out of me. For me, that makes an ad worthy of recognition and a brand worthy of the time people are giving it.

Two ads were shown that are particularly noteworthy.

This was produced by Toronto-based company for the World Wildlife Federation. The mix of music and discordant images really make you think about the message at the end.

The next one is for a first-person shooter video game... but it's noteworthy because it destroys the conventions of FPS advertising. Have a look.



It's hard to believe this is the official ad for Gears of War. Unlike any other advertising for this genre, there is no sound of gunfire, no embedding you in the fight, no shouts from the command post, no screams of the enemy. I love watching this ad.

Ironically, Natalie and I will be renting Call of Duty 3 this weekend. This WWII FPS also had an ad last night that was everything I just described in the above paragraph. It's important to remember that a Globe and Mail review that says the game brought tears to the reviewer's eyes will always trump advertising.

Yeah, yeah, the photos of the vacation will be up this weekend. Hold your horses.