Advertising’s Entertaining Extraterrestrials
Record box-office feature films, and movie-franchises, of extraterrestrial encounters, have been an inspirational gift to advertising creative teams, filmmakers, special effects designers and artists.
Space-Alien themed scenarios for commercials, game design and publishing, ushered in limitless imagination possibilities for conceiving enthralling filmic narratives that amuse and delight viewers.
1. Freeview Play, Crack Open The Good Biscuits
Advertising Agency: Anomaly, London, UK
Production Company and Animation Studio: Blinkink, London, UK
Freeview Play is The United Kingdom’s most popular ‘free-to-air’ TV platform.
Directed by renowned filmmaker Nick Gordon, ‘Crack Open the Good Biscuits’, was creatively conceived for airing during the reality TV show ‘The Great British Bakeoff’.
Eagerly watched by two cookie loving extraterrestrials, that alarmingly exclaim, “Ook! The blue-eyed creature is killing the blob!” when they see celebrity chef Paul Hollywood vigorously knead a lump of dough.
The entertaining dialogue ‘voice-overs’ of the Alien Queen and her royal confidant Colin, are by award-winning actors Samantha Spiro, and Jamie Demetriou.
Humorously, the two superbly inventive 3D animated characters, upon discovering the joys of Freeview terrestrial television, forego destroying the Earth, and decide instead, to just chill, crack open the biscuits, and continue watching.
2. McDonald’s, 30 Days of Christmas
Advertising Agency: TBWA, Brussels, Belgium
Filmmaker Rogier Hesp directed a superb performance from his young cast for McDonald’s Belgium’s festive season commercial.
The insightfully conceived scenario centres on just how ‘alien’ 2020 was for children, and their mission, entertainingly led by the commercial’s young star, to save Christmas.
3. Centraal Beheer Insurance, UFO
Advertising Agency: DDB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Production and Special Effects Company: STINK Films, London, UK
Directed by filmmaker Les Stylewar, this cinematic, impressively produced alien invasion parody, with spectacular special effects, is a visual delight with a very funny twist and a tongue-in-cheek end of message; ‘Just call us … or maybe not’.
4. Samsung Exynos 2200, The Marketplace
Advertising Agency: BBH, London, UK
Production Company: MJZ, Los Angeles, California, USA
VFX Studio: The Mill, Paris, France
Aimed at the active 638 million console-based ‘gamers’ in the world, Samsung Electronic’s System LSI Business division, have pioneered a mobile processor of high-definition, immersive gaming experiences, for their new generation of smart phones.
Masterly directed by renowned filmmaker Matthijs Van Heijningen, who is also a ‘gamer’, the ‘Samsung Marketplace’ commercial is an inspirationally conceived scenario about ‘Alice’ in a game-player’s ‘Wonderland’.
Lured into an underground world of alien creatures, by a shady ‘White Rabbit’, market vendor of arms, ‘The Mill’s’ special effects and 3D creation of the Space-Aliens Alice encounters, are impressive and cinematically entertaining.
5. John Lewis & Partners, Unexpected Guest
Advertising Agency: adam&eveDDB, London, UK
The festive season advertising campaign for John Lewis & Partners, centres on the ‘Unexpected Guest’ commercial about young lad Nathan’s heart-warming close encounters of a space traveller, named Skye.
Australian filmmaker Mark Molloy, skilfully directs stellar performances from his young stars, as the story unfolds of young Skye, as seen through her eyes, discovering earthlings’ magic of Christmas.
In the film, Nathan gives Skye a departing Christmas gift of a knitted garment, replicas of which will be available in children and adult sizes, with 10% of each store-sale donated to ‘Give a Little Love’ charities.
‘Unexpected Guest’ virtual experiences were made available via apps, and John Lewis & Partners websites.
The featured soundtrack of Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder’s “Together in Electric Dreams”, is performed by 20 year old rising star, singer-songwriter Lola Young, from South London.
6. Chicken Licken, They Also Crave It
Advertising Agency: Joe Public United, Johannesburg, South Africa
Production Company: Romance Films, Cape Town, South Africa
VFX Animation Studio: Chocolate Tribe: Randburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
Directed by filmmaker Terence Neal, the ‘they’ referred to, turn out to be some extraterrestrial characters that in a ‘bolt out the blue’ descend on a family’s home with an amusing impact on their lives.
The unfolding phantasy however, of the Spielberg extraterrestrial parody, has a nasty sting in its ‘tale’ that is highly entertaining to view.
7. Xfinity Comcast, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Returns
Advertising Agency: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, USA
Production Company: Park Pictures, Los Angeles, California, USA
VFX Studios: A52, Santa Monica, California, USA
Xfinity is the trade name of consumer cable television, internet, telephone, and wireless services provider, Comcast Cable Communications, LLC.
After an absence of nearly 40 years, Steven Spielberg’s endearing E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, returns for a holiday season reunion with his friend Elliott (Henry Thomas), who during the intervening years, has become a family man.
Eliot, his son, and daughter, introduce E. T to the advancements he has missed such as the Internet and Virtual Reality.
Directed by filmmaker Lance Accord, the warm bonding of E. T. with Eliot’s family, is touchingly nuanced, and rewardingly emotive to view.
To preserve the integrity of the beloved movie ‘Alien’, Steven Spielberg was consulted throughout the making of the Xfinity short film. From concept to story-board, to production, and final editing.