SANTA MONICA, CA. (Top40 Charts/ Activision) - Fans of Activision, Inc.'s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Guitar Hero and 'American Idol' were treated to some old time rock n' roll during last night's season finale with the debut of two new Guitar Hero commercials starring season seven winner
David Cook and runner-up
David Archuleta. The dual 30-second spots paid tribute to the famous lip- and guitar-syncing scene that appeared in the popular film 'Risky Business', but with a fresh twist that included two of today's biggest pop culture phenomenons. Airing once each during the broadcast, the commercials featured the stars sliding, dancing and rocking out on a Guitar Hero guitar to the song 'Old Time Rock and Roll,' performed by Bob Seger. Renowned film and music video director
Brett Ratner collaborated with Guitar Hero creatives to amp up the timeless air guitar performance to promote the No 1 best-selling video game franchise of 2007.
The ads are the first product of Brett Ratner Brands, a new consulting venture focused on helping brands infuse entertaining, culturally-relevant elements into the marketing of their products and services. 'These ads capture that awesome Guitar Hero feeling of taking center stage right there in your own living room,' said Ratner. 'They are the essence of what Brett Ratner Brands is about - creating an emotional connection with consumers of all ages and life stages.'
Entitled 'Risky Business,' the commercials featured the shy balladeer Archuleta and hard-edged rocker Cook recreating the iconic performance in the timeless film. Ratner stayed true to the classic scene - complete with the finalists dressed in Oxford shirts and upturned collars and tube socks - but instead of a fireplace poker, they played a Guitar Hero guitar. The commercials were produced by advertising agency DDB and H.S.I. Productions and will also be available on www.guitarhero.com.
'We continue to evolve our wildly popular Guitar Hero franchise to offer people new and engaging gaming experiences with the songs and artists they love,' said Robert Kotick, Chairman and CEO, Activision, Inc. 'We know that Guitar Hero fans love David Cook and David Archuleta too. So, for us, these ads were about delivering two fan-favorites in a fun and memorable way. And with a creative director like Brett, it was a perfect match that could be made only in Hollywood.'
This year, the growing Guitar Hero franchise will add three new titles for budding rockers of all ages including:
* Guitar Hero: On Tour - Rock out anytime, anywhere with Guitar Hero: On Tour. Designed specifically for the Nintendo DS, Guitar Hero: On Tour will be bundled with a revolutionary Guitar Grip. Available on June 22, 2008.
* Guitar Hero: Aerosmith - Rock this way with America's greatest rock n' roll band, Aerosmith. Relive the band's illustrious career from their early days at Nipmuc High School and continue on their journey to becoming rock royalty. Available on June 29, 2008 for Xbox 360, PlayStation2, PlayStation3 and Nintendo Wii.
* Guitar Hero World Tour - The next iteration of the Guitar Hero franchise will be available in fall 2008 for Xbox 360, PlayStation2, PlayStation3 and Nintendo Wii. Game features will be announced later this year.
