The Evolution of Game Faces
Playface is Sony's latest ad campaign for the re-tooled PS3. Created by ad firm Wieden+Kennedy, the concept is cool, if not a little obvious.
How so?
Well, first of all, it's been done before. Like, two+ years ago by Phillip Toledano, whose work caught the attention of Wired, which in turn, commissioned him for a full magazine spread in early 2007.
A similar theme runs through the work of Ari Pescovitz (David's nephew), who shot a series of Guitar Hero faces in May 2007.
In 2009, Robbie Cooper uploaded "Immersion" to YouTube:
And here's Sony/W+K's take:
Similar? Yes. Still I'm not going to hate on Sony/W+K. The slow-motion video footage is gorgeous and, better yet, the Playface website features ambient music that I dig.
Of course, you're free to disagree...
[via Today and Tomorrow]
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Icupnimpn2
#1 – 5:30 PM August 27, 2009
Unlike the earlier gameface stuff, Sony's ads look rehearsed. These don't feel like real responses. But then again, I've found 99% of Sony's marketing for the last 3 years to be entirely joyless and somewhat off-putting. In a rare turn for the better, the humorous new USA ads are at least free of this wanna-be artistry.
noonat
#2 – 10:45 PM August 27, 2009
Completely agree with #1. What made Immersion so appealing is that the faces felt so natural (or genuinely unnatural?). Sony's ad has none of that for me...
noonat
#3 – 11:14 PM August 27, 2009
Actually, I take that back. I still don't like the commercial, but the site is quite cool.
nothingelseis
#4 – 7:22 AM August 28, 2009
I always quite liked the freaky XBOX360 spin-behind-the-face and OMG their heads are hollowed out! adverts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKvWssTarOM
MrShrubber
#5 – 8:55 AM August 28, 2009
Sony's faces creep me out...
Liav
#6 – 9:06 AM August 28, 2009
There aren't many commercials or campaigns I have even a tingling of affection for, but I still remember the late 90s spots for the Playstation as being really well done and off-kilter funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it8Abvm5SjA
Stuffed
#7 – 10:14 AM August 28, 2009
Seems like Nintendo's been doing this for the Wii for a while, showing the faces (and bodies) of people as they are playing games. It goes as far back as their first reveal, even some of the sound effects edits seem similar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEKCetCeibs&feature=related
schwerpunk
#8 – 3:16 AM August 30, 2009
Oops, I think I hearted this by mistake. Oh well.
---
Anyway, I thought it was a really cool idea, I just wish it wasn't so obviously fake. Though I found the second video (which was even [i]more[/i] obviously fake and stylized) much more entertaining.
The eye movements are all wrong (when paired with the sound), and the people act like their on camera. I'd like them to release some more footage, but this time of real gamers playing real games.
So: 1) great idea, 2) blah presentation, 3) more potential than pull-off.