Sony PlayStation ad inducted into Clio Hall of Fame

14 May 2007

MIAMI: Sony PlayStation's “Double Life,” a captivating example of storytelling and reflection on escapism in commercial advertising by London production company Gorgeous Enterprises and ad agency TBWA\London, has been selected as the 2007 inductee to the Clio Awards Hall of Fame. The honour was bestowed during the recent Clio Festival, 9 - 12 May 2007, in Miami Beach, Florida.

The Clio Hall of Fame pays tribute to the extraordinary ads that dare to be different. They are timelessly relevant, often providing the industry with a revolutionary creative concept or technology and many times enter into the realm of pop culture. Since being established in 1960, a mere 300 ads from around the world have been inducted into the Clio Hall of Fame.

Directed by Gorgeous Productions' Frank Budgen and first aired in 1999, Double Life begins with a shot of young man walking through a crowded city street, speaking the lines “For years, I've lived a double life. In the day, I do my job, I ride the bus, roll up my sleeves with the hoi-polloi, but at night I live a life of exhilaration.” It then launches into a quick succession of one-liner vignettes about the “other” side of the lives led by many different individuals, all related to the range of situations and emotions experienced while using the PlayStation.

“When Double Life debuted in 1999, it was widely heralded as the UK's answer to Apple's Crazy Ones,” said Mark Tutssel, 2007 Clio Television/Cinema jury chairman and worldwide chief creative officer, Leo Burnett Worldwide.

“This incredible spot romanticised video gaming and deftly captured the essence of it – the personality transformation and the fantasy of gaming worlds. It got to the heart of what gaming is all about. The signature line ‘I have commanded armies and conquered worlds,' wove itself into the vernacular. After eight years, the spot has spawned a genre of its own, but Double Life remains unrivaled. It is absolutely deserving of being inducted into the Clio Awards Hall of Fame.”

Entries to the Clio Hall of Fame must be a minimum of five years old, and must have won a Gold award in a major international awards competition. The Clio Executive TV Jury votes on the campaigns, and Hall of Fame honours are recognised at the annual Clio Festival.

Credits:

Client: Sony PlayStation
Advertising agency: TBWA\London
Production company: Gorgeous Enterprises, London
Editing company: The Whitehouse
Editor: John Smith
Account executive: Neal Davies
Creative director: Trevor Beattie
Copywriter: James Sinclair
Art director: Ed Morris
Producer: Paul Rothwell
Director: Frank Budgen
Cinematographer: Frank Budgen