One of the most prevalent criticisms of video games is that they lack humanity, desensitizing their users to violent acts against human beings. However, in this :60 TV/cinema commercial for Sony PlaySta-tion 2 (PS2), the level of humanity mounts, literally.
We open on several shots of people in different parts of a city looking at a commotion going on in the streets. Then we get a glimpse of the commotion—people are running through the city, rushing to get somewhere. At first, everything feels a bit chaotic, but that perception is eased when we see the people laughing. The action unfolds to the song "Get On Board."
Finally, the destination of all the running people comes into view. They are eager to reach a bunch of people stacked on top of each other, with more people climbing on. The mass of bodies leans against a skyscraper and its adjacent buildings, rivaling their height.
Traveling upward, we see a section of people pressed against the glass wall of an office fall into the building when the glass breaks, yet people keep piling on. Some fall from the stack of humanity in their eagerness to get to the top. Other folks lend a helping hand to those on their way up. The camera pulls back to reveal that the people are collectively forming a giant mountain that peaks between the tall buildings. Different people make their way to the top to enjoy a moment of sheer exhilaration and triumph, then fall or jump off to be replaced by others. All the while, the mountain keeps building.
A tag simply reads, "Fun, anyone?," accompanied by the PS2 logo, positioning the game system at the zenith of its field. As Trevor Beattie, chairman/creative director of TBWA/London, said of the spot, "It has a brand leader’s stature and scale. It puts the competition back down in the foothills where they belong." The ever-growing mountain also celebrates the scale, energy and spirit of the PlayStation community of users.
Titled "Mountain," this ad is running across Europe and Australia, on TV and in theaters. Frank Budgen of Gorgeous Enter-prises, London, directed and served as lighting cameraman on "Mountain." (Budgen is repped stateside by bicoastal Anonymous Content.) Paul Rothwell executive produced and produced for Gorgeous. The spot was shot in Brazil, with production support provided by Zohar International, Rio de Janeiro.
The spot also enlisted the services of City of God art director Tule Peak, and the stunt coordinator on The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Paul Shapcott. More than 5,000 extras and 100 acrobats and stunt people were employed to help make the mountain of humanity; the number of people was multiplied through the visual effects and post wizardry of The Mill, London.
The core team at TBWA/London consisted of creatives Tony McTear and Paula Marcantonio, and producer Kate Hitchings.
"Mountain" was edited by Rick Russell of Final Cut, London. An ensemble of artisans from The Mill, London, contributed to the project, including 3-D artists Jordi Bares and Ben Smith; Flame artists Jeff Robins, Richard Betts, Daniel Morris and the mono-monikered Barnsley; producer Liz Browne; and colorist Adam Scott. Audio engineers were Warren Hamilton and Johnnie Burn of Wave Recording Studios, London.
