ZUZU F.C.

During the 2003-2004 UEFA Champions League, Playstation 2 launched a series of 15-second films promoting the PS2 UCL game. The campaign was received by many as a legit what-f*ck-did-I-just-watched moment. Let’s unpack the creative idea behind it to answer the question: Does this campaign hold up if running today? 

It’s clear from the jump there’s nothing conventional about this idea—Two dudes playing PS2, the UCL Game. Right after one scoring, a massive vulture lands on their couch. It eyes the other dude, the one losing the game. Logo appears.

What’s the idea here? It’s a simple truth for gamers: When you play, you either win or …have your carcass remains slowly picked at by a monstrous vulture. Metaphorically speaking. 😉

It’s where the thrill of playing video games comes from. It’s high stakes. Your life’s on the line, and, at the same time, nothing is at stake. If you die or lose a UCL match, you start again. The campaign repeats the same premise. As soon as one player begins to lose, the vulture appears, signaling that the end is near. But it’s Playstation; you can always start again. (counting you haven’t smashed your controller after losing multiple times. You know, we all have that friend.)

To represent this harmless death enters possibly the most sinister symbol of biting the dust—a vulture. It’s clear how these two contrasting notions play off each other, creating friction, which is why it’s entertaining. It’s a silly joke. 

The vulture is a universal indicator of death. Furthermore, it’s a timeless symbol. These amazing birds have circled dead carcasses before we existed and will continue to do so until the end of time. So, whether you saw this film in ’03 or today doesn’t matter. The effect is the same. Vultures weren’t a hot trend back in 2003. Choosing an animal archetype with universal appeal literally allows the campaign to fly above any fads, maintaining the same punch until today. 

It’s a well-crafted story because it is economic. It tells the audience only what we need to know. We are thrown in the middle of a scene that is already happening. No intro, no setup, not even a line of dialogue. It’s up to us, the audience, to connect the dots of what’s happening. This is how the writing keeps everyone engaged. 

In the end, there’s no product shot. No smart tagline. No CTA. Instead, it leaves the audience with more than these expected takeaways. It makes us feel something. A connection is made. Even if you didn’t “get” it, you can’t ignore it. That’s a win when you compare it with the sea of soccer ads with the same aesthetics and editing pace, holding up a mirror to the audience instead of sparking a connection with them. 

It’s true, it was a different time. And, I agree, the corny acting didn’t age well. However, there are elements of a well-crafted story with a strong insight that stops the audience on their tracks, even if you’re not a gamer. To answer the question at the beginning, this campaign holds up today. Let’s pay attention to the ads during the UCL knockout rounds. Would you find anything that sticks like this bizarre little tale?