The ad campaign marks the revamp of Sony’s PlayStation Plus subscription service, which gives members access to a catalogue of games. Launched 12 years ago, the service has been expanded to include three different membership options, with the higher levels including game trials and cloud streaming.

Instead of going into the benefits of PlayStation Plus, adam&eveDDB has delved into the rich narrative world of gaming. Eric Lempel, SVP and head of global marketing at Sony Interactive Entertainment, says that the ad focuses on “what the service provides at its core: discovery, engagement, and excitement”.

The film – directed by Henry Hobson – follows Mr Malcolm, a seemingly ordinary man returning home from lunch to an apartment filled with traces of adventures past. There’s an astronaut’s suit in the closet, unusual flora and fauna, and an entire basement stuffed full of strange objects – including a hungry pet zombie.

Keen gamers will be able to spot most of the references – the Bridge baby from Death Stranding, the cowboy outfit from Red Dead Redemption 2, or the Watcher machine from Horizon Zero Dawn. “The spot is meant to be a quick story that the fans can walk away from and say, ‘there’s so much going on in the world of PlayStation, and so much I haven’t experienced yet’,” says Lempel.

“We also wanted to excite the viewer by reminding them of their own gaming history with PlayStation; show them that there are still worlds they have yet to explore, journeys not taken, paths not travelled, and guide them towards new adventures they never dreamed of.”

The ad feels like a significant improvement on the more lacklustre, generic Play Has No Limits ad of last year, happily embodying more of the sinister weirdness that harks back to Sony’s much-loved historic PlayStation ads.

Credits:
Agency: adam&eveDDB
CCO: Richard Brim
ECDs: Ant Nelson, Mike Sutherland
Creative Directors: Richard Gayton, Darren Beresford
Production Company: MJZ
Director: Henry Hobson
Edit Company: Work Editorial
Post Production: Selected Works