W+K Amsterdam recently launched a 90-second spot promoting Electronic Arts’ franchise-rebooting Need for Speed game, which was released today, entitled “Paradise.”
The ad sets in-game footage to a mostly instrumental/orchestral version of Coolio‘s “Gangsta’s Paradise” and dialogue from Peter Fonda‘s character in the 1966 film The Wild Angels. “Paradise” serves to introduce gamers to Ventura Bay, the game’s fictional domain, which offers a kind of racer’s paradise for illicit racing. The combination of borrowed cultural touchstones is a strange one, and feels off, even if it does serve to introduce the feel of the game. In the coming weeks a social initiative will support the online spot, which has tallied over 850,000 views on YouTube since being uploaded last week.
“Rousseau said, ‘Man is born free, but everywhere he lives in chains’. Our campaign says, forget the chains, let’s get off the hook. It doesn’t get more relevant than that,” said W+K Amsterdam creative director David Smith.
Credits:
ELECTRONIC ARTS
Group SVP, Global Marketing: Todd Sitrin
VP, Global Creative Team: Dana Marineau
Senior Director, Global Creative Strategy: Dustin Shekell
Director, Creative Strategy: Mark Evans
Senior Manager, Creative Strategy: Vincent Vuadens
Senior Director Marketing: Edd Newby-Robson
WIEDEN+KENNEDY AMSTERDAM
Executive Creative Director: Mark Bernath and Eric Quennoy
Creative Directors: David Smith, Craig Williams, Alvaro Sotomayor
Art Director: Ignasi Tudela Calafell
Copywriter: Mohamed Diaa, Bern Hunter
Head of Broadcast Production: Joe Togneri
Broadcast Producer: Stijn Wikkerink
Interactive Producer: Matt Ravenhall
Interactive Art Director: Jeff Lam
Planner: Nick Docherty
Group Account Director: Kirk Johnsen
Account Director: Nick Campion, Amber Martin
Senior Account Manager: Jorge Fesser
Studio Artist: Noa Redero
Project Manager: Loes Poot
Business Affairs: Michael Graves
EDITING COMPANY: WILL JUDGE EDITING
Editor: Will Judge
AUDIO POST: THE AMBASSADORS
Sound Designer/Mixer: Rens Pluijm
MUSIC SIZZER AMSTERDAM
Music Supervision: Michiel Marsman, Sander van Maarschalkerweerd, Jake Buckley
Music Company: Sizzer Amsterdam
POST PRODUCTION: THE AMBASSADORS
Flame: Ton Habraken & Jeroen van Berkel
3D: Stephen Pepper & Jeremy Verf
Telecine: Hans van der Steilen
Producer: Darden Longenecker Bosbaan