You know that feeling you get when you look outside and all life is frozen, the wind is howling through the window, and even snowmen appear to have frostbite?
Yup, it’s called pure joy. And it’s what all gamers have when a terrible storm gives them the definitive reason to stay inside and play on PlayStation.
And now, that kind of apocalyptic winter weather is the setting for PlayStation’s most recent Black Friday campaign, centered on this spot titled “Wonderland” from BBH NY.
Directed by Matthijs van Heijningen of MJZ, our hero protagonist wakes up to the worst kind-of blizzard imaginable. Realizing he has a perfect excuse to stay inside, a smile crosses his face and he breaks into song. We see moments of pure misery outside as he dances through his house, singing with pure joy. All of this reaches a crescendo when he makes it to his living room to warm up with some nice, toasty PlayStation.
Credits
Client PlayStation Agency BBH New York Gerard Caputo, chief creative officer; Jonathan Mackler, executive creative director; Lucas Bongioanni, Colin Kim, creative directors; Aimee Perrin, art director; Stu Rubin, copywriter; Bruno Borges, head of design; Stephanie Munoz, designer; Ed Zazzera, head of production; Abbie Noon, executive producer. Production MJZ Matthijs van Heijningen, director; Ruben Impens, DP; Eriks Krumins, exec producer; Janet Nowosad, head of production; Donald Taylor, producer. Production Services Migrate Films. Editorial Work Editorial Jono Griffith, editor; Trevor Myers, assistant editor; Erica Thompson, exec producer; Chris Delarenal, producer. VFX The Mill New York Angus Kneale, chief creative officer; Nathan Kane, creative director; Ruben Vandebroek, shoot supervisor, 3D lead artist; Siro Valente, 2D lead artist; John Montefusco, 3D lead artist; Marco Baratto, James Cudahy, 2D artists; Todd Akita, Charles Lee, 3D artist; Clemens den Exter, design; Eliana Carranza-Pitcher, exec producer; Mandy Harris, producer; Mia Lalanne, production coorindator; Mikey Rossiter, colorist; Evan Bauer, color producer. (Toolbox: Flame, Nuke, Maya, Houdini) Music Walker. Record & Mix Sound Lounge Tom Jucarone, mixer.
After losing part of his right leg due to cancer, Terry Fox campaigned to raise national awareness and funding for cancer research by running his Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada 42-km daily run, on his prosthetic leg. Fox, who died in 1981, is a national hero. His image will be on Canada’s new $5 bill.
In this two-minute video titled “Finish It,” the Marathon of Hope is recreated. It’s all done in one take, and it features an actor/marathon runner who uses a prosthesis on the same leg as Fox. CGI was deployed to make him look more like Fox. To further ensure the actor represented Fox accurately, not only did the actor and team watch and study many videos of Terry, but Terry’s brothers, Fred and Darrel, coached the actor on Terry’s running style and mannerisms. They also created a copy of Terry’s prosthesis for the actor to use for the shoot.
The message is clear. As the Marathon of Hope now marks its 45th anniversary, we now have the opportunity to “Finish It” for Fox, raising money and awareness to get a cure for cancer over the finish line, completing the work that Fox started. The public service film starts with Fox on the marathon run, eventually joined by a crowd of other dedicated runners from all walks of life who take over the race.
Mark Zibert directed via production company Scouts Honour for Toronto agency Diamond. The video features a never-before-heard version of the song “Courage” from Canadian band The Tragically Hip.
“We wanted to create a campaign that captures the magnitude of Terry Fox’s legacy while driving meaningful action,” said Peter Ignazi, chief creative officer at Diamond. “By revisiting the Marathon of Hope with such care and reverence, we aimed to reignite Terry’s mission and... Read More
