Fallon's Sony Bravia Advert

Fallon's recent advert for the Sony Bravia, Play Doh, has just won the British Television Advertising Craft Awards. In fact, they have been awarded a lot of well deserved awards for their television work this year. It just seems a shame that it was this advert that won them the award.

Their previous two campaigns were outstanding, and altered way television advertising was formulated dramatically. The bouncing balls and exploding paint fireworks flowed seamlessly into the public consciousness, even spawning spoof campaigns by other companies such as this particularly well thought out homage:



Those advertisements worked through their understated audacity and exceptional use of soundtrack, and their Play Doh piece started with as much promise, hinting that the initial concepts were being reworked with imagination. But then the Rolling Stones kicks in and lets everything following down.

I happen to really like the track they chose, and it is very clear why "She's a Rainbow" was selected; but whereas "Heartbeats" from the original advert was, at the time, skirting the edges of popularity, and the second expertly choreographed Rossini's "Thieving Magpie", a piece of music than most recognised but could not place - Play Doh's was too obvious. Far too obvious.

The subtly had been lost, and this became more apparent as the ad progressed. The wonderful shots of rabbits was not enough. At the point where once we saw a beautifully shot frog leaping from a drainpipe, or a surreal clown placed without need of explanation, the rabbits merge and become a wave of play doh. The animation is impeccable, the concept well realised, the timing fits perfectly with the Stones classic... But it is too much, there was no need for the grandiose climax.

Perhaps Fallon where trying to up the ante, especially as so many other agencies were following suit. But they should have known that the ability to work wonders, does not mean they should always be worked.

So why did they get the award? Was it a case of Martin Scorsese receiving his oscar for The Departed and not Raging Bull - it was overdue to say the least. Take a look at the adverts and judge for yourself.