Killer Spots: Mercenaries 2

Sure, it's not going to win your head or your heart like the Gears of War campaigns, but I'm still a big fan of the launch spot for Mercenaries 2.

Why? First off, because I love the money motif that the guys at Shilo Design cooked in to everything. Reminds me of Shepard Fairey's newer stuff (see cover art for "E Pluribus Venom" in particular), and I think it looks gorgeous. Being that money and revenge are the two big drivers of the game, I love that they were able to combine them both in to something so simple.

Second, it's just plain fun. Cartoon-like violence, a jumpy little song with white kids singing gangsta rap lyrics... it strikes all the right chords that make me want to log on and destroy stuff with a friend. In fact, I think it captures the tone of the game pretty well... I was quite happy to fire up the multiplayer with Brian and learn that it doesn't take itself too seriously at all.

Aside from the really jarring product tag at the end, I dig this one a lot. You can even download the song from iTunes if you like, but the best parts are already included in the spot for my money. There's a director's cut on the Shilo site that uses alt music, but it doesn't grab me as much as the one they did for broadcast (and that's coming from a fan of the whole Brit-pop sound as well).

 

Side note: I'm half-watching the Bills play the Pats on Sunday afternoon, and it's so damn windy in Buffalo that the goalpost ends up crooked just before a field goal attempt. So while some grounds crew guy is standing on a ladder trying to correct the situation, I hear them playing the song from the spot in the stadium. Must mean something, right? Maybe we've got a new intro song for the show? Or maybe not. Either way, cue blog entry.