Modern Spectacle

[danalwyn]

I know that television advertisement is different now then it used to. I mean I know that intellectually. They've been growing both in complexity and spectacle since I was born. And that's especially true of ads for athletic brands, as the variety of sports, the ability of the cameramen, and the tastes of the market, have evolved.

But in the year I was born, there were probably full movies that cost less in terms of effort, technological expertise, and just plain money then Nike's Write The Future ad. Every time I watch it, I just can't help but wonder just how much money that actually cost.

Say what you like about Nike (and a lot of people do), they know that their audience wants spectacle, and they can provide spectacle. And poke fun at England at the same time.

Comments

[nightdog-barks.livejournal.com]

That is incredible.

But in the year I was born, there were probably full movies that cost less in terms of effort, technological expertise, and just plain money then Nike's Write The Future ad.

Sometimes Mr. N and I will be watching TV, and we'll see an extended ad for something, and it's so mind-blowing and DARING and WOW DID YOU SEE THAT? and ... it's for a GAME. Not a movie, not another TV show, not anything special -- just a video game.

[danalwyn.livejournal.com]

What's even weirder about the game ads is that they've started doing pure in-game animation. It used to be that a game ad would have things that weren't even in the game half the time; now they have things that are in the game that you would never have dreamed of just years ago.

Soon we'll basically be manufacturing reality here.

[nightdog-barks.livejournal.com]

Interesting article from the LA Times on this commercial, here (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2010/05/nikes-world-cup-commercial-showcases-i%C3%B1%C3%A1rritus-filmmaking-flair.html). The filmmaker is Mexican and is the same guy who did Amores Perros and 21 Grams.


Edited for HTML fail. Duh.
Edited again to correct the filmmaker's nationality.
:-)