Beale's Best in Show: Sony Walkman (Fallon)
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Your support makes all the difference.I tried. Really, I have tried. I mean, it's getting a little boring now, don't you think? Every bloody ad is a triumph; tiresomely predictable. But this week's best ad is another Fallon corker. And another Sony corker. This time its for the Sony Walkman – and it's simply wonderful.
It's a long time since the Walkman was cool. The brand itself is 25 years old, which is geriatric in this market. In the meantime, Sony's portable music players have been overshadowed by the iPod.
But while the iPod has achieved the almost impossible – ubiquitous appeal combined with cool credentials – this ad suggests that Sony has spotted a chink in Apple's iPod armour. The Walkman is going for a superior sound-sell, and Fallon's work captures it beautifully. The 90-second version is definitely worth seeking out. There is an orchestra, a full one with all the bits, 128 musicians. They are playing a piece but each musician plays only one note. The effect is intricate but fun and really captures the idea of precision and quality. I bet it was a ball to make.
The come-on line, of course, is "music like no other". Fallon and Sony make great ads like no other.
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