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'

Published On
Oct 24, 2016

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
Brand :
Electronic Arts/Respawn Entertainment
Client :
Electronic Arts/Respawn Entertainment
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

Project Type