British Advertising Films Of 2008

This year’s goodies revealed some notable new trends

By PEG ALOI | October 9, 2008

3.0 Stars

Usually reflective of the current state of British culture, this year’s British advertising goodies revealed some notable new trends. The flashy CGI animation of recent years has given way to campaigns featuring uniquely human performances: a slouchy tap virtuoso, a wizard of vocal impressions, a smoldering pas de deux with a ballerina and a hip-hop hoofer. Disturbing trends continue: brutal PSAs against drunk driving and handgun violence (yes, in the UK) abound. Levi’s maintains its hegemony with a witty sartorial scenario of two lovers whose cultural personae shift with every item of clothing shed. Simple visual concepts predominate; — the use of color, in particular, shows advertising’s incestuous link with the high-flying design and DIY œuvre. One lengthy ad presents Martin Scorsese’s quest to film a fragment of a “lost” Hitchcock screenplay, and this he does in giddy homage to North by Northwest and The Birds — but will the result boost sales of mediocre champagne? 86 minutes | MFA: October 15, 16, 18, 19, 23, 24, 29-31; November 2

Topics: Reviews , Entertainment, Movies, Martin Scorsese, More

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