Super Bowl Ad Review: What, You Don't Carry 3D Glasses?
We're just a month in, but already 2009 has an official ad gimmick
We're just a month in, but already 2009 has an official ad gimmick
We’re just a month in, but already 2009 has an official ad gimmick.
You may be aware of the Super Bowl spots for Sobe Lifewater and Dreamworks’ “Monsters Vs. Aliens,” which aired last night. But the old/new technology has lately popped up in a host of other movies, TV shows, ads and even Web sites.
The Super Bowl ads, as well as the 3D versions of NBC shows “Heroes” and “Chuck,” are the result of a partnership between Pepsi, Intel, Dreamworks and NBC. The productions all use the same 3D tech — a new system that replaces the blue/red lenses of yesteryear with a more color-enhanced experience. The full-length version of “Monsters Vs. Aliens” will be available in 3D thanks to the same technology. Yes, glasses are still required.
Meanwhile Crest just launched its own 3D experience, Kiss Me in 3D, a site that simulates various styles of kissing.
Also, last month saw the release of “My Bloody Valentine 3D,” a remake of the ’81 horror flick, and next month will bring “Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience.”
The challenge with any mass distributed 3D production is getting glasses into the hands of millions of potential viewers. Times have changed since 1953, when viewers of “House of Wax” were simply given a pair of shades at the box office. In the case of Intel’s InTru3D tech, Pepsi was in charge of handing out the accessories. To do so it apparently relied solely on its Sobe Lifewater retail displays in thousands of grocery stores. No newspaper or magazine inserts. No cereal box cut-outs. No direct mail option. Until late last week you could call a toll-free number to have a free pair sent to you, but that number was not widely publicized.
Perhaps as a result of the limited distribution, an unscientific poll of blogs and Twitter users finds mostly faint enthusiasm for the ads, and numerous complaints about the lack of promotional support for the glasses.
On its kissing site, Crest offers zero support for the glasses-less, noting only that visitors require them to fully experience the site. In other words: Sorry chump, but this would be so cool if you only had the accoutrements.
Let’s hope future 3D productions do more to empower viewers with the required hardware. Until then, here’s a video showing how to make your own old-fashioned 3D glasses.
Make 3D Picture Glasses Fast And Easy! – The funniest videos clips are here