For die-hard Madden gamers, the August release of the EA Sports’ Madden NFL video game is like having Christmas come early. That’s the idea behind the campaign for Madden NFL 2007, which includes a TV spot, a radio component and an interactive Web site created by San Francisco-based Freestyle Interactive. Wieden + Kennedy handled all aspects of the campaign.
“For many years the day that Madden is released has always been a big deal for people who love the game. We wanted to leverage that and amplify it and celebrate that more,” explained Chris Gatewood, creative director, Freestyle Interactive. “And for people who may have played the game a long time ago and who have lost interest, we wanted to bring it to the forefront and make it more of a cultural event. That’s how we arrived at the Maddenoliday–kind of spoofing Christmas.”
Like the TV spot that features carolers singing about the joy that will be felt by all the gamers, cookies in the shape of gaming consoles baking and people chopping down goal posts so they can bring them home and decorate them, the site, www.maddenoliday.com, is festive.
Designed like a fireplace decorated with stockings (socks), football lights and garland, there are all kinds of spots embedded in the site that can be clicked on to spread Maddenoliday cheer–fans can order the game, check out screenshots, watch the TV spot, send Maddenoliday cards, download wallpapers and count down the days until the release date with their own Maddvent calendar.
Behind each window of the calendar lies a surprise. For example, there are videos highlighting the newest features of Madden NFL 2007, recipes for snacks to have on hand when playing the game and stories relating the most celebrated Maddenoliday traditions, such as leaving ribs and a tall, frosty glass of root beer out on the mantle on Maddenoliday Eve. Stories about how the holiday is celebrated around the globe are also part of the calendar. And to really get in the holiday spirit, visitors can also download carols, shake a snow globe and receive some Maddenoliday tidings or create a cross-stitch message and send it to a friend.
“We wanted to sprinkle the calendar with some things that were expected like screenshots and videos, but we also wanted to create enough unique content so someone would find something that another friend would enjoy and then send it to them,” Gatewood said.
The content in the Maddvent calendar was unlocked every other day until the August 22 release date. The last day featured video footage (shot in L.A. exclusively for the Web site) of NFL MVP and NFC Champion running back Shaun Alexander–who appears on the cover of Madden NFL 07–talking about his Maddenoliday memories.
Because the Freestyle Interactive team was working with video, audio and multiple videos in single pages, they used Flash 8 to secure the broadest range of capabilities. “We were a little worried that some of our audience might not have that yet. We did a site back in February and there was only about 50 percent penetration of Flash 8,” Gatewood said. “But the good news is now it’s much higher, I think it’s up to 85 percent. We also figured most gamers are probably up-to-date on this stuff and even if they’re not, if they are excited about the game, it would be enough to drive them to get the plug-in.
The biggest challenge about the project was the short time frame to complete the project–they had about three weeks. “We had to weigh how far we could go with the unique content we created,” said Gatewood.
But the variety of that content is what made the project so rewarding. “There were so many different types of content that we got to create. It involved a lot of copywriting and imagination. For instance, we had Maddenoliday around the world, so we brainstormed on how people would celebrate around the world. It was one mini site, but it felt like a lot of experiential depth,” Gatewood said.
Director Dag Johan Haugerud’s “Dreams (Sex Love)” Wins Top Prize At The Berlin Film Festival
A Norwegian film about love, desire and self-discovery won top honors at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival on Saturday.
A jury headed by American director Todd Haynes awarded the Golden Bear trophy to "Dreams (Sex Love)" by director Dag Johan Haugerud.
Haynes called it a "meditation on love" that "cuts you to the quick with its keen intelligence."
The film focuses on a teenager played by Ella Øverbyer, infatuated with her female French teacher, and the reactions of her mother and grandmother when they discover her private writings. It's the third part of a trilogy Haugerud has completed in the past year. "Sex" premiered at Berlin in 2024, and "Love" was screened at the 2024 Venice Film Festival.
The runner-up Silver Bear prize went to Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro's dystopian drama "The Blue Trail." Argentine director Ivan Fund's rural saga "The Message" won the third-place Jury Prize.
The best director prize went to Huo Meng for "Living the Land," set in fast-changing 1990s China.
Rose Byrne was named best performer for her role as an overwhelmed mother in the Mary Bronstein-directed "If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You." Andrew Scott won the supporting performer trophy for playing composer Richard Rodgers in Richard Linklater's "Blue Moon."
The climax of the festival known as the Berlinale came on the eve of Germany's parliamentary elections after a campaign dominated by migration and the economy.
The national election is being held seven months early, after Chancellor Olaf Scholz's governing coalition collapsed in a dispute about how to revitalize the country's economy.
Efforts to curb migration have emerged as a central issue in the campaign — along with the question of how to handle the... Read More