Electronic Arts' Ad for 'Titanfall 2' Is Like a Futuristic Spaghetti Western
Film Created out of Argonaut Set to New Version of Classic Ballad 'Bang Bang'
Editor's Pick
Respawn Entertainment and Electronic Arts are prepping the arrival of their videogame Titanfall 2 on October 28 with a bold, cinematic campaign created out of San Francisco agency Argonaut, which won the business in June of this year.
The new film unfolds like a spaghetti western against a futuristic backdrop -- depicting the take-no-prisoners warfare of an aspiring pilot fighter and his Titan, who face off against an enemy army.
The ad, directed by Dave Wilson of Blur Studio, is set against the classic Cher and Sonny Bono track, "Bang Bang," performed by Aussie singer Grace with lyrics reconceived for the world of the futuristic game, featuring talk of "kill counts" and "weapons flexed."
The campaign highlights the close bond between Pilot and Titan, one of the key aspects of the franchise's gameplay. "It's a two-way relationship that's functional as well as emotional," said Respawn Head of Marketing Arturo Castro in a statement.
Song choice was a crucial aspect of the storytelling. "We thought, you're not really a legend until someone sings a song about you," addded Argonaut Founder/Co-CCO Hunter Hindman in the statement. "So, what better way to celebrate this legendary duo than by re-creating a classic ballad that tells the tale of our two war-torn heroes and the trail of dead they have left in their wake."
As for the visual aspect of the storytelling, "We asked ourselves, what if Sergio Leone showed up in the futuristic Titanfall frontier with his film crew?" Mr. Hindman said. "How would he frame up the story of a man and his 20ft-tall mechanical steed? We wanted to create a world where our heroes and their landscape could be treated with the same cinematic reverence he would have brought to the table."
The campaign will run nationally on network television, including on ESPN, MTV, TBS and Syfy.
Credits
- Date
- Oct 24, 2016
- Agency :
- Argonaut
- Chief Creative Officer :
- Hunter Hindman
- Chief Creative Officer :
- Rick Condos
- Associate Creative Director :
- Zack Fagin
- Associate Creative Director :
- Matt Kelsen
- Head of Production :
- Topher Lorette
- Producer :
- Matt Green
- Head of Brand Management :
- Katie Miller
- Brand Director :
- Colleen Toombs
- Brand Manager :
- Madison Shoop
- Head of Strategy :
- Max Heilbron
- Communications Strategy Director :
- Brian Olsen
- Director, Strategy :
- Warwick Heathwood
- Production/Visual Effects :
- Blur Studio
- Director :
- Dave Wilson
- Executive Producer :
- Al Shier
- Executive Producer :
- Greg Talmage
- Director, Photography :
- Ken Seng
- Visual Effects Supervisor :
- Dan Akers
- Visual Effects Producer :
- Tiffany Webber
- Visual Effects Producer :
- Brian Keeney
- Line Producer :
- Dennis Beier
- Composer/Arranger :
- Rob Cairns
- Vocals :
- Grace
- Audio Producer :
- Lime Studios
- Audio Mixer :
- Rohan Young
- Executive Producer :
- Susie Boyajan
- Co-Production Company :
- RESET
- Co-Production Company :
- Blur Studio
- Visual Effects Company :
- Blur Studio
Need a credit fix? Contact the Creativity Editors