Geek: Do Some Video Game Ads Go Too Far ... Part 2
Kung Fu DrafterWe continue discuss if the Halo 3: ODST commercial.
In our previous post we asked whether or not some advertising, in this case advertising for Microsoft’s Halo 3: ODST could be unintentionally offensive. We reviewed the obvious facts of it being a simple commercial versus the contemporary context in which the commercial exists. Now let’s take a closer look at the commercial and its mechanics.
In the “We are ODST” ad campaign we are treated to roughly 60% of the short film. The game and console branding are pressed to the forefront. Why wouldn’t they be? This is a vehicle to promote the recent release of the video game and increase sales. As a marketing vehicle there is no other option but to press the brand and that job is done very well. At the end of the commercial our curiosity is sparked and we related the superb production of the live action commercial to the anticipated game play. All of which is topped off by the brand and identifying the console. From a technical perspective, this is a pretty good commercial. It’s hard to deny that.
In the “Behind the Scenes” video (below) we see that Scott Duchon’s short film was an effort of very high quality. The film was shot in Hungary in a several locations including the cooling tower of an active nuclear plant. From realistic locations to accurately modeled armor to the inclusion of a live action Brute Minor, no detail was overlooked. It was clear that the short film was intended to be more than a mere commercial.
The film pulls you in immediately with the emotion of the military funeral and then the journey of one young soldier named Tarkov as he undergoes ODST training and eventually combat. In less than four minutes the director has created a memorable character that the audience connects with. We are immediately shown how this boy goes from victim of loss to seasoned veteran. Eventually Tarkov is no longer wearing his shiny new armor. Both he and his armor are older and scarred from battle and he is again laying a fallen soldier to rest. Tarkov takes a battle torn ODST standard flag and leads his men, boys like he was, into battle as he tucks the flag into his armor. Throughout the film the background music is a cover of “Light of Aiden – Lament”. This Gaelic song’s lyrics are almost as moving as the images they support.
"And my army of brothers went over the hilltops, drenched in blood we may be... but fighting is all left to me... Together with my army of brothers... down we fall... darkness in all... through hell!"
It should be obvious that here at Kung Fu Drafter we hold the short film and its creators in high regard. Still we wonder if the T.A.G. agency made the right decision to present the original short film as a video game commercial. We can very easily see how in one move they robbed the short of its full impact and may have inadvertently strayed into the area of very bad taste. We also feel that this question isn’t indicative of any idea that the game, the short film or the commercial should not exist or not be available to the public. Given the nature of the product the intended target demographic (people like ourselves) will not be offended. But what does the unintended demographic think about the piece?
Microsoft's Halo 3: ODST ...
In one conversation with another fellow gamer the question was asked "Would it be in bad taste to use the same imagery to sell a car or a hamburger?"
It is easy to assert that anyone offended by the game mechanics of Halo 3: ODST should just not buy it. We entirely support that. However there is a difference between choosing not to purchase a product and being exposed to emotional (possibly offensive) content in promotion of that product. Add to that themes of service and patriotism and the matter becomes very complex.
Could the creators have had this specific goal of creating an ad that would be emotionally charged and aimed at the unintended demographic? To explore this question we should examine what the possible intentions of the T.A.G. agency were. Did the agency intend to create a commercial that evoked strong reactions and alluded to American troops in war zones? Could we just assume that this was one more commercial that came off the assembly line?
Since the full trailer and subsequent shortened commercial premiered on September 7th, 2009, during a marathon of the acclaimed World War II drama Band of Brothers, to us the intent of the campaign couldn’t be clearer. T.A.G. timed the release of the commercial and placed it so that its themes of service and loss would align completely with the surrounding program. It certainly seems to us that T.A.G. had every intention of maximizing the emotional impact of the commercial on the audience beyond the video game's demographic target.
We are not sure if the commercial for Halo 3: ODST is in bad taste or not. Through the course of writing these two posts we have found ourselves asking more questions than finding answers. So in the end, as it so often is in matter such as these, the decision is left to the viewer. If you feel that after these two posts your opinion is more solidified than our own please leave us a comment. We would love to learn how others feel on the matter. As for us we have chosen to enjoy the short film and leave it at that…
- KFD -
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