Microsoft is building anticipation of the Xbox 360 on November 22, with two television commercials featuring the catchphrase, “Jump In”. Water Balloons and Jump Rope are starting to appear on televisions around the world, appealing to under twenties to embrace the new generation of gaming console.
Water Balloons Riot
Children stalk each other from balconies, in true Halo style, not with guns but with waterbombs. Adults run for cover as the water fight escalates. Some of the children are wearing animal masks. The soundtrack: Teddy Bear’s Picnic. “Jump In. XBox 360” appears on the screen. The words “Caritas Parroquia Ntra Sra DEL ROSARIO” are Spanish for “Caritas Parish Ntra Lady of the Rosary”. So is this filmed in Spain or Central or South America? Or is it a Spanish uprising in Paris? Actually it was filmed in Buenos Aires, Argentina over seven days and involved over 100 people, including a few passers by.
Click on the image below to play the Water Fight video.
The recording of “Teddy Bear’s Picnic” was sung by Val Rosing (Gilbert Russell) with Henry Hall and his BBC Dance Orchestra in the 1930s.
Jump Rope
It’s a parking lot in New York. A jump rope swings as one by one, two by two, three by three, the locals take their turn to perform their tricks. Finally the rope is thrown away for the final stunt. Once again we have the words, “Jump In. XBox 360”. Anyone recognise the tall basketballer guy, Ben Wallace?
Click on the image below to play the video.
The soundtrack is “Din Daa Daa” by George Kranz.
Credits
The ads have been created in collaboration between agencies McCann Erickson and 72andSunny, by creatives Matt Bunnell & Nate Able, creative directors John Boiler, Glenn Cole, Scott Duchon and Geoff Edwards and agency producer David Verhoef.
Filming was shot by director Frank Budgen, via Gorgeous Enterprises and Anonymous Content, with director of photography Simon Richards and producer Alicia Bernard.
Visual Effects were developed by Motion Theory, Venice, California.
Post production was done at Glassworks. Sound production was done by Eddie Kim at 740 Sound Design.
Editing was done by Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter at Rock Paper Scissors.
Audio was mixed at Lime Studios, Santa Monica.
It’s fascinating reading the XBox forum comments on this ad. A high percentage of commenters say they just don’t get it. What have these ads got to do with the product?
I used the ad with a group of colleagues exploring postmodernism and advertising. What we’re seeing here is the presentation of local narratives that don’t fit the typical stereotype of wealthy American sitting around at home.
I showed the clip to a few local teenagers who could see immediate connections in the Jump Rope ad with the invitation to jump in to the XBox community. Likewise, there were immediate connections made between the water balloon riot and the free-for-all of an XBox LAN party.
As I write this I have eight 18 year-olds fighting it out on the couch with Halo 2.
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