Ian Swenson .com

It’s been some time since I last posted. I was writing a big series on how I made this web site, then the Olympics interrupted my rhythm, and I never got it back. Other projects have snatched my attention and I have neglected this site. I apologize.

To make up for it, I have a couple commercials here I want to talk about. Which should we do first, the good or the bad?

I think good first. So here we go:

<a class="linkification-ext" title="Linkification: http://www.ianswenson.com/v/walottery_birds.flv" href="http://www.ianswenson.com/v/walottery_birds.flv">http://www.ianswenson.com/v/walottery_birds.flv</a>

This is from the Washington State Lottery, and it’s ingenious! The spot is artfully done and it just gives you/me an uplifting feeling when it’s done (pun not intended). I believe it is intended to give that uplifting feeling so when you think of the state lottery you don’t think, hmmmm, government controlled regressive gambling. Instead you think, Yay! Flying! Brilliant.

Now the bad:

This is a sloppy advert. The two parts are stereotypical (which I know commercials rely on because of time constraints) and insultingly so. The insensitive husband innocently insults his overly-sensitive wife by telling her that she’s being healthy. Yeah…

That alone isn’t enough to get a mention here. No, this ad is here because of its production. They used a British commercial, dubbed over the actor’s voices (to get rid of the accent), and CG-ed the box so it matched the American product.

The way the box moves makes it painfully obvious that it’s CG. Really, can you tell me that having someone CG a cereal box was less expensive than just reshooting the commercial? Or, perhaps, thinking of a better one?

And on a completely unrelated note, in about one hour it becomes my birthday. I’m not sure how I feel about that. I remember when a birthday was one of the best days of the year, a day to be looked forward to. Now, it’s just … it just is.

Legalese and Butt-Saving Language available here.

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