Everyone knows the perfect music can make or break a commercial. (See Embrace Life, Dead Island and The Amazon Kindle.) But when companies are oh-so-obviously asking, “What are the kids listening to today?” and using what ever's trendy to impress their intended audience, then something is wrong. For example…
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5. Far Cry 3
The new Far Cry 3 trailer, released about a week ago, starts off pretty badly. There's a “we're on a boat” reference, clips of the main character partying and taking shots. But once the bass drops at 1:40? I literally threw my hands up in the air and walked away from my computer in disgust.
Ad agencies, take note: Not everything is made better by extra wubbage.
What could have been an interesting commercial (the graphics and atmosphere were all there) that people were looking forward instead ended up as formulaic pop culture schlock with misplaced music.
Sure, die-hard fans will still play the new Far Cry…but we doubt that the new trailer will draw new gamers in.
4. Detective Dee and the Phantom Flame
Someone decided that Detective Dee needed a new trailer when they were repackaging it for digital distribution in 2011. What was wrong with the original one? Absolutely nothing. Sure, it wasn't in English. But it was dark, serious and, most importantly, interesting. People died, characters visited the underworld, gender roles were being challenged. There was even creepy multi-armed demons of some sort.
What was wrong with the new one?
Well, at 1:38 Detective Dee kicks a deer (who suspiciously sounds like a goat) in the face. He kicks a deer in the face. That's not even taking into account the bass drop at 1:15, which might be the best example of a copy and pasted sound track that I've ever seen.
3. Southern Comfort Fiery Pepper
“Hey you! Guy with the dirty looking hair, going out to a bar only wearing jeans and a grimy white tee. You know how the rest of the place is really chill right now? You should yell a lot because SoCo tastes good, tabasco is super spicy (it's not super spicy.) and you listen to dubstep.”
That's a good idea for a commercial, right?
2. GoPro HD
This is the commercial that introduced a lot of my parents friends to Skrillex for the first time when it was played during the Super Bowl this year.
As great as Scary Monster and Nice Sprites is, the noise from rapids would have been much more epic. Bass drops can be pretty intense but more intense than a drop in the river? Not even close.
1. Weetabix Chocolate Cereal
Wait, I change my mind. Do they sell Weetabix in America?
