Banks Hoggins O’Shea reveals its first television work for Virgin
Interactive Entertainment later this month.
The commercial is a home video-style portrayal of a fanatical games
addict. The man, sitting in a darkened room, announces to his camcorder
that he is making a film as a record so that people will know what has
happened to him since he began playing the Lands of Lore II.
He announces: ’I am Luther ... I have this cursed ability to change
shape ... heaven help anyone who’s near me when I become this
thing.’
As he rants to the camera, the lights suddenly go on, revealing that the
games addict is sitting in a store room, having been disturbed by a
cleaning lady who has come in with her mop and rubber gloves.
Jo Blundell, the account director on the business at Banks Hoggins,
said: ’The brief was to extend the game’s appeal to a wider audience
through the excitement of living the adventure for real.’
Banks Hoggins won the full-service account earlier this year (Campaign,
30 May) and pledged to drop the shock tactics used by its predecessor,
TBWA, which drew complaints for its executions. The Advertising
Standards Authority considered that one ad, which featured a bathtub
filled with blood, was ’beyond the bounds of acceptability.’
The film was directed by Chris Dada through the Directory, written by
David Alexander and art directed by Rob Fletcher. It breaks on 25
November on national TV.
