32 Comments

It works quite beautifully as a 2:51 extended piece. But it will be interesting to see how this transfers and lends itself to a 30 second ad for commercial TV. Lovely direction, and the backdrop of Iceland is perfect.
Mark Gamble
2009-10-01 11:00:24

Hmm, it reminds me very very much of Telemegaphone from Unsworn Industries

http://www.unsworn.org/telemegaphone/

Ok this piece is about broadcast & you can call it with telephone, but it is also about how the village in Norway reacts to this experience and lives with the constant noise & music
Chris OShea
2009-10-01 11:27:26

Not Sony/Fallon's best. The greater message that comes out of this is 'Sony torments Icelandic village for a week'.
Rob Jung
2009-10-01 11:43:01

I agree, it's a really great peice of work, but when trimmed to 30 seconds is it punchy enough to create the same buzz as the balls and paint ads?
Ben Lambert
2009-10-01 11:46:48

hate it, poor village - all the speakers are almost alien and the people look helpless to the intoxicating sounds that do not fit with the incredibly beautiful landscape. Buy Panasonic.
Stu
2009-10-01 11:59:13

I would GO POSTAL!
NIMBY.
Gemma Germains
2009-10-01 12:10:19

Very odd.

Actually quite a nice idea in theory, but the end result does make Sony come across as some sort of oppressive Big Brother figure, forcing this music on the villagers.

Would be very interesting to know more on how it was arranged, and how much say the village had in the delivery of the project / their post-match reaction.
Doug Kerr
2009-10-01 12:11:07

The idea isn't about Sony being SAW VII, it's about the experience that one would get, when presented with a bunch of sound that you wouldn't have otherwise wanting to notice, for instance a drop of sugar into a cup of tea. This video isn't the only video that they made, to be cut down to fit a 30s or 15s tv spot. Checkout the other little spots that comes with this. This idea sounds amazing and beautiful.
Awesome Bosom
2009-10-01 12:26:39

i liked the idea that they used a real village for a week, captures the reality and surrealism of the villagers and their reactions to the sounds, but also has a very orwellian taint to it!
Dave Hayes
2009-10-01 12:49:37

It's quite appalling, the extent agencies go to try to make an ad not look (or sound) like one. This one from Fallon really misses the point and it's one of those self-indulgent pieces that gives the business an awful name. And the business is up for a pitch, right?
Vera P
2009-10-01 14:29:49

I can't imagine why people thing this is good.

Regardless of whether this is an ad, a film, a music video, a promotion for tourism Iceland, or just a really self-indulgent piece of direction that is aimed at making Juan Cabral look like he can stand in front of a camera and press the record button...

It's boring. Really boring!

Sigur ros did a really captivating minimalist DVD about their music, set in their home, Iceland. This feels like a terrible sequel. I hope the client didn't pay for it.

I would prefer to see a film set in Iceland with Kerry Katona beat boxing.

Some people will probably read this and think I'm being negative. I am. I can't see any positives from this film. Its shite.

The sooner we start selling things again, the better.
Neil
2009-10-01 16:10:54

it looks lovely - but thats Iceland for you.

other than that - i want 2m51 of my life back please.
badger
2009-10-01 16:32:21

poor buggers in iceland thats what i think.

same old agency types thinking they own the bloody world. you can see them pitching this in the meeting, did anyone not stop to think that the silence and lack of sound in the village is probably what makes it a 'super sound experience'..the sounds of the poeple and the snow.

and i bet the few weeks it but them to put up the speakers and strike it all was really fun for the villagers aswell..

i love Sony ads but this one deserves to be slammed...its not exciting...and it doesnt even do the sound justice which is the funniest part!
Kate Rose
2009-10-01 17:47:08

Sony Soundville was never going to be a series of tv ads - it's part of a pan-european digital campaign that can be experienced here:

http://www.sony.co.uk/article/sony-soundville/
Gordon Candelin
2009-10-01 17:55:00

I love the imagery, but it looks as though the residents just want the speakers to go away.
Abbas Arezoo
2009-10-01 18:46:19

I feel sorry for the village, this is very intrusive, and the residents do not look best pleased. Only good thing about this film is the beautiful landscape.
Rebecca
2009-10-02 10:12:57

Even the sheep look like they are going freak...
I wonder how much the residents got paid to put up with this?

Interesting idea, don't think it really works though unfortunately...
thegraphical
2009-10-02 11:04:35

I would definately have spun this back round and made my own ad. Gathering a group of local friends I would have set up Mini DV's around the village covered in snow, and proceeded to sabotage and destroy the speaker system. Capturing on camera the vast crew from Fallon blundering into shot and slipping over in a futile attempt to stop the attack. Polished off with some comedy music. It could make a great at for CAT boots or NORTH FACE.
Rich
2009-10-02 13:23:15

Is this a joke?
Is this supposed to make me like Sony?
Dean
2009-10-02 13:44:35

at 0.49 the camera pans past what looks like an elderly woman with her fingers in her ears!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soRTHMEf0wY&feature#t=0m46s
Petep
2009-10-02 19:11:03

I certainly got the feeling that Sony had intruded on that poor village. Those villagers seemed to be really annoyed. Having read the above comments, this seems to be the general opinion.

Fallon have missed the ball with this one to the point that it actually turns Sony into a negative. How on earth did this get passed. Very damaging to both the client and the industry, appalling.
Steve Perry
2009-10-02 22:19:21

I love this! The use of music in contrast to the beautiful landscape is awesome. Very original and interesting. Great to also get a glimpse into their lives.
Katy Cowan @ Creative Boom
2009-10-03 12:50:43

for me this fails, it damages the Sony brand and isnt compelling

what little touch Fallon had, has clearly been lost
graham peake
2009-10-03 16:50:33

Here is a critical analysis in french.
http://atopiak.blogspot.com/2009/09/in-name-of-kernel.html
Atopiak
2009-10-03 18:50:47

Almost as a Sigur Ros video, and a hint of Roy Andersson I love it, because it is focusing on broadcasting a feeling in a deeper sense not just a superios sensation, it's more human.
Richard Feldeus
2009-10-03 22:02:25

Against SONY's awesome campaign
Most Interesting Ideas
2009-10-05 09:52:16

Wow. that was boring.

And that must have SUCKED to be in the village. they were throwing snowballs at the speakers, i dont think thats out of affection.

and i hate the fact that we're all commenting on it because some head guy in the agency will say something like, "well, the're all talking about it. it's a conversation. let's do lunch."
Jp
2009-10-05 10:07:14

What a terrible ad.

Anyway, surely the sound was added in post-production. If it wasn't, why?!
Daniel
2009-10-05 10:17:21

Divisive! At times beautiful yet also boring? I'll be interested to see how this disrupts an ad break on the TV – I can imagine it to be more powerful in reaction to the hubub of Opera singers advertising comparison websites etc.. Intriguing as a documentary piece.
Luke Tonge
2009-10-05 21:17:30

my initial curiosity faded into annoyance.

What a terrible experience, for the local and the global villagers.

Fallon, this time, failled with an ad without soul
michbold
2009-10-06 09:04:11

my initial curiosity faded into annoyance.

What a terrible experience, for the local and the global villagers.

Fallon, this time, failled with an ad without soul
michbold
2009-10-06 13:21:33

I wonder why they always need Iceland to enhance bad ideas. If you think your idea is good enough, be brave and do it in Bangladesh.
Eduard Xandri
2009-10-06 23:53:23

Tell us what you think

Your comment: What happens with my feedback?

What happens with my feedback?

We no longer require you to register and have a password in order to comment, simply fill in the form below. All comments are moderated so you may experience a short delay before your comment appears. CR encourages comments to be short and to the point. As a general rule, they should not run longer than the original post. Comments should show a courteous regard for the presence of other voices in the discussion. We reserve the right to edit or delete comments that do not adhere to this standard.

Name: (required)

Title:

e-Mail: (required)

URL