A Tale Of Two Videos : PSP Vs American Chopper

We got hit up by two PRs promoting video work for the Sony Playstation 3 and the American Chopper TV series. Now, on paper you’d expect the PS3 to beat a video for a reality TV show into the ground. But what we got was the other way round. American Chopper rocked, PS3 sank.

The PSP video is sell to youth culture by numbers: it’s got BMXs, it’s got BMX riders controlling their bikes with wonderful dexterity, it’s gone beautiful cinematography, it’s even got video game graphics. Bu tit just doesn’t work. The idea is tried and tested. It’s a literal interpretation of the brief (the PS3 controller gives you control) gone bland. The funny thing is that the film of the bikes is pretty beautiful and engaging – but as soon as the dull voiceover starts it jolts you back into ad land. Why didn’t they leave the voiceover ’til the end? Why did they have to make it so forced?

Meanwhile the American Chopper video by the Bunker has us all rocking. Yeah, it’s cheesy but it’s fun. We’re all in on the joke. We love how they combine the over-the-top with tongue in cheek. We’re all having fun here. And, who knows, maybe we’ll check it out to see if the show is just as fun too.