Double Life (PlayStation ad)
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Client | Sony Europe |
---|---|
Language | English |
Running time | 60 seconds |
Product | |
Release date(s) | 1999 |
Directed by | Frank Budgen |
Music by | Zoo Studios, London |
Production company | Gorgeous Enterprises, London |
Produced by | Paul Rothwell (production company), Di Croll (agency) |
Country | International release |
Double Life is a television advertisement released in 1999 by
Content
The ad begins with an English-sounding man in a suit who walks through a busy street. He starts the ad by saying "For years, I've lived a double life. In the day, I do my job – I ride the bus, roll up my sleeves with the hoi-polloi.", then a number of different characters are seen including the same man sitting undressed on a bed with a woman ("But at night, I live a life of exhilaration,"), a woman of
The original ad had a small difference: the line "a life of dubious virtue" was said by the teenage girl, followed in some versions by a black man in athletic clothes making a popping sound with his lips. The girl's entire line was replaced in Sony's official version of the ad during their 2014 #20YearsOfPlay promotion.
Reception
The ad is internationally known (even though, it is a mainly European ad) and many people from the US and Asia have commented on its quality. Scott Steinberg, author of Videogame Marketing and PR and founder of Embassy Multimedia Consultants commented on the ad in 2008, saying
Pure genius, nothing less... From sheer caliber of script to general casting, dialogue, acoustics, camerawork and striking use of both color and imagery, this promotional spot commands the audience's attention like few other videogame ads – or advertisements, period – that've come before. Epic in scope, yet elegantly capturing every man's desire to transcend the boundaries of mundane life, to this day, the piece remains nothing short of iconic... not to mention instrumental in conveying the PlayStation family's inherent scope and value. Watching for the first time, it's near impossible to take your eyes off the screen, even if, upon reflection, the number of half-naked men and face time they're afforded proves slightly disproportionate... and disturbing. Still, it's quite possibly the first and truest example of modern "pull" vs. "push" game marketing in motion: Regardless if you can appreciate the depth of the prose, or simply prefer the promo's off-kilter sense of humor – seriously, is that a real baby or homicidal Cabbage Patch doll? – it's impossible to peel yourself away.
Legacy
Double Life has clocked up over half a million views on YouTube
References
- ^ a b Clioawards.com
- ^ Boards Archived 28 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ YouTube.com