Halo 3, PS2 Ads Make "25 Most Epic Ads" List

[John Funk]

Halo 3, PS2 Ads Make "25 Most Epic Ads" List

The stellar Halo 3 [http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=63851] "Believe" campaign and the lesser-known PS2 "Mountain" ad have both been placed on a list honoring the 25 most epic commercials of all time.


If you asked someone familiar with advertising what the most epic commercial of all time was, there's a good chance that their answer would be Ridley Scott's famous has composed a list [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8]: "The 25 most epic ads that aren't '1984.'"

It's a great list and highly worth your time, even if only two videogame-related ads pop up on it. #17 is "Mountain," [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1YV2sNRK4I] a 2003 UK ad meant to promote the "global competition" available on the PS2, featuring a stunning 1,500 extras. It's certainly a cool ad, and worth being on the list (hey AdFreak, any plans to give Kevin Butler an honorable mention, or is he not "epic" enough for you?)

Naturally, if you're compiling a list of the most epic ads of all time and including videogame commercials, you would be absolutely insane to omit the mind-blowing Halo 3 "Believe" campaign - and AdFreak doesn't, placing it at #8. Featuring an absolutely incredible diorama (sweet baby Jesus, that diorama was amazing) as well as narration from old veterans of the Covenant wars reminiscing about their memories of the Master Chief, "Believe" was extremely effective in setting a chilling tone for the trilogy's finale.

Halo 3 was a great game, but it couldn't live up to that ad campaign - the 90-second spot featuring the diorama, set to Chopin's Prelude No.15 (and with no other sound), is perhaps the single best videogame ad ever made.

I do have to say, though, that for the most part these are all great picks. I love good advertising - even if it is trying to sell me a product, it's still cool to see it done so damn well.


(Joystiq [http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/the-25-most-epic-ads-that-arent-1984.html])

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[Jared]

I remember seeing this advert, really, really well made, alomost totally believeable.

Great stuff

 

[Grayjack]

Boo. I dismiss this list just because Kevin Butler isn't in it.

 

[Jonny49]

I remember getting pretty hyped up for Halo 3 due to those adverts.

 

[thenumberthirteen]

Those Halo ads are great. They really capture the feeling of the game in that you had do do everything yourself, and the Soldiers just sat around until you saved them.

 

[Sir Kemper]

I love those belive ads, they can be a little... humorous at times, mainly becuase of the way they say and refer to Master Chief...

Still, Its cool stuff, and i'd love to see what would come of itif they did a sort of full length documentary.

 

[jasoncyrus]

I'd say only 2 of the believe commercials were worth making. The first and last.

The middle two didnt exactly live upto par. Mostly because the second one the script had the guy fumble too much with his speech and the third lacked emotion too much. There wasn't any tension of being put back int the dark in that place.

 

[Gxas]

God... Those still give me chills.

Those, and the Gears of War 2 "Rendezvous" trailer.

 

[fix-the-spade]

The Halo ads always make me think Bungie should have been an advertising agency before a game developer.

Never seen that PS2 one before, PS2 had some fantastic campaigns (anyone else remember Life on the Playstation?).

 

[Decabo]

I found the "Believe" advertisements very lame. I'd say the Halo 2 one was much better. It had actual gameplay.

 

[HK_01]

Those halo ads are pretty awesome, except that they really should not have had those weird blue lamps and that droning sound on the Brute weapon in the second one.

 

[Simalacrum]

Any "most epic adverts" list without Honda's "the cog" advert can't really be trusted in my opinion...

Therefore, I do not trust that list.

Prejudice against other people's opinions aside, some of those ads were indeed pretty epic, and its good to see the efforts of the video game industry being recognised too.

 

[stompythebeast]

When the Halo 3 Believe campaign first came out, it was the first and only time an ad campaign actually stirred emotions in me besides laughing. They did great justice to the halo universe and even tho the selling point was Master Chief, I still loved how they showed the normal humans and their experience. To me it is the best damn thing microsoft ever did for the Halo Franchise.

ODST was amazing too, with the ads being almost as epic, but because it had no MC in it i guess it didnt make as much as a hype.

 

[300lb. Samoan]

Never seen either of those. The PS2 one is neat, great idea and really epic in its production scope. But those Halo 3 commercials are some of the most mind-blowing pieces of myth-making I've ever seen.

 

[soapyshooter]

This list isn't complete seeing as how fucking KEVIN BUTLER isn't on it.

 

[rddj623]

The Believe campaign was a great one!

 

[RheynbowDash]

I dont like Halo, but goddam, those ads sent chills down my spine...

 

[Plinglebob]

That Carlton Draught one was fantastic!

 

[bjj hero]

Excuse me people, where is the amazing Cadburys advert?

Prepare to be rocked...