The Return of the Weird: Microsoft’s New Xbox Ad Harks Back to the Early 2000s
A Blast from the Past
Remember how wild video game ads were back in the early 2000s? Sony hired David Lynch to direct an Eraserhead-inspired PS2 ad, and an Xbox 360 advert featured a newborn baby being catapulted into a grave by its own umbilical cord. Today, it’s hard to believe that some of the ads from that era got approved, but many gamers have a fondness for those times when gaming ads were creative, thought-provoking, or just plain weird.
A Sign of the Times
It’s a sign of how things have changed that the most interesting gaming ad we’ve seen lately was the amusing live-action Assassin’s Creed Shadows ad from Ubisoft Brazil. But now Microsoft has brought in David Fincher, director of Seven and Fight Club, for a new Xbox ad that harks back to those days of big-budget weirdness.
The New Xbox Ad
Xbox’s new commercial was directed by Fincher and Romain Chassaing. It shows the morning routine of a humanoid rat as he gets up and heads to work. He skulks through a dreary day in the city and at the office in classic Fincher dull muted colours. There are occasional glimpses of mysterious gamers, the only humans among the rats.
The Message Behind the Ad
That’s until the protagonist gets home, flicks on his Xbox and suddenly becomes human. ‘We’re all human inside,’ the slogan reads. Microsoft describes it as a "wonderfully off-beat fairy tale" in which Horatio the a rat "rekindles his humanity through the joy of gaming." A much-needed dose of fun transforms Horatio into the human he always was when he "powers on his Xbox on his Samsung OLED TV."
A Dystopian Twist
The ad is a clear allusion to the classic rat race metaphor. The suggestion that a games console can help us reconnect with our inner human more than any day-to-day physical contact with actual humans is a little dystopian, but the ad does feel like a return to those days when gaming ads took chances and got people talking.
A Blast from the Past
That seems to have been welcomed by fans, with many commenting on the YouTube video to say how it brings back memories of the Xbox 360 and more grungy early 2000s aesthetics. Let’s take the opportunity to recall a couple of the weirdest console ads from that era: Xbox’s Life is Short and PlayStation’s Welcome to the Third Space.
Conclusion
Microsoft’s new Xbox ad is a nostalgic nod to the weird and wonderful world of gaming ads from the early 2000s. It’s a sign of how times have changed, and how much we miss the creativity and risk-taking that made gaming ads so memorable.
FAQs
Q: Who directed the new Xbox ad?
A: The new Xbox ad was directed by David Fincher and Romain Chassaing.
Q: What is the message behind the ad?
A: The ad suggests that a games console can help us reconnect with our inner human more than any day-to-day physical contact with actual humans.
Q: What are some of the weirdest console ads from the early 2000s?
A: Some of the weirdest console ads from the early 2000s include Xbox’s Life is Short and PlayStation’s Welcome to the Third Space.
Q: What is the title of the new Xbox ad?
A: The title of the new Xbox ad is not explicitly mentioned in the article, but it is referred to as a "brand trailer" and a "wonderfully off-beat fairy tale".
