PlayStation | できないことが、できるって、最高だ。 | 2016
Celebrating the Core Value of Gaming in a Long-Form Ad / PlayStation 4 "It's the Best Feeling, Doing What You Couldn't Do Before."
"It's the best feeling, doing what you couldn't do before." This tagline gets turned into a long-form celebration of life itself. I don't think it got much buzz, but I honestly think it's pretty amazing.
The problem
In 2015, as PS4 was drawing attention with a steady stream of buzzworthy titles since its launch, Sony Computer Entertainment Japan Asia launched a long-term campaign called "It's the best feeling, doing what you couldn't do before." This video is the second installment in that campaign, a TV commercial that aired nationwide starting September 17 (9/17), 2016.
The insight
It feels like this ad hits right at the heart of what makes gaming valuable in the first place. And there's something admirable about its boldness in going long-form instead of settling for a cheap 15-second spot.
The idea
It starts with Takayuki Yamada walking through pitch-black darkness, then shifts to a scene of him swinging a sword like a fantasy hero. From there, moment after moment of "I finally got to do the thing I always wanted to do" piles up: a father shooting a beam while his son watches in awe, a girl flying above a city skyline at night, a parent and child driving hundreds of supercars, a family riding a Pegasus.
What happened
This campaign didn't end with just one ad—it ran for multiple years, including a third installment released in 2017, again starring Takayuki Yamada.
Afterthought
I remember wondering back then which production company made this, and whether something like this could even be made in Japan. I couldn't track down more information, but looking at it again now, I still think this kind of ambition is great. I hope you'll watch the video and feel that energy for yourself.
