"Champagne" was a television and cinema advertisement launched by

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washin ...

and created by

Bartle Bogle Hegarty Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) is a British global advertising agency. Founded in 1982 by British ad men John Bartle, Nigel Bogle, and John Hegarty, BBH has offices in London, New York City, Singapore, Shanghai, Mumbai, Stockholm and Los Angeles ...

. Released in March 2002, the commercial aired in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

to promote the European release for

Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the ...

. However, after the advertisement received 136 complaints, the commercial was banned on 4 June 2002.

Plot

The advertisement opens in a delivery room, where a mother attempts to deliver a baby. However, the baby flies out of the mother into a window and begins hurling through the atmosphere. Throughout the advertisement, the baby rapidly ages, eventually becoming an old man. In the final shot of the advertisement, the old man lands in his own grave in a cemetery. Afterwards, the advertisement flashes the text "Life is Short. Play More. Xbox."

Production

Background

The advertisement was created to promote the European launch for

on 14 March 2002. The advertisement was part of the "Play More" campaign, which was linked to the website "playmore.com", which consisted of about 25

flash game A browser game or a "flash game" is a video game that is played via the internet using a web browser. They are mostly free-to-play and can be single-player or multiplayer. Some browser games are also available as mobile apps, PC games, or on co ...

s, TV ad previews, exclusive viral clips, and downloadable

screensaver A screensaver (or screen saver) is a computer program that blanks the display screen or fills it with moving images or patterns when the computer has been idle for a designated time. The original purpose of screensavers was to prevent phosphor ...

s. The "Play More" campaign appeared in 16 European countries. Other advertisements created for the "Play More" campaign included "Mosquito", which featured the tagline "Suck less, play more".

Production

The advertisement was created on a budget of £500,000. The opening hospital scene was shot in a studio and featured a bed that had been specially built to launch the baby. Meanwhile, a stunt woman portrayed the mother. In order to make the aging sequence seem natural, Bartle Bogle Hegarty started with a 70-year-old actor and worked backwards to find actors who were progressively younger in appearance. In total, 12 actors ranging from 3 months old to 70 years old played the same role; each of the actors were shot on a blank screen, complete with wind machines to give the impression that they had been launched. For the exterior scenes, a helicopter shot the landscape from the hospital to the graveyard. For the final shot of the advertisement, a replica of a graveyard was created in a park in

West London West London is the western part of London, England, north of the River Thames, west of the City of London, and extending to the Greater London boundary. The term is used to differentiate the area from the other parts of London: North Londo ...

Broadcast and controversy

After its release in March 2002, the advertisement received 136 complaints. These complaints included a mother who lost her baby while giving birth, a pregnant mother, and 20 others who lost family members. Eventually, the commercial was banned by the

Independent Television Commission The Independent Television Commission (ITC) licensed and regulated commercial television services in the United Kingdom (except S4C in Wales) between 1 January 1991 and 28 December 2003. History The creation of ITC, by the Broadcasting Act ...

on 4 June 2002. However, a Microsoft spokesperson said that the advertisement was still used on the internet as well as cinemas.

Lawsuit

In June 2002, the advertisement was sued by French director Audrey Schebat, arguing that her

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

, ''Life'', is similar to the advertisement. A hearing was planned for 23 September 2002, but the lawsuit itself did not occur.

Reception

Rob Walker of '' Slate'' found the advertisement "fantastic", comparing it to

Franz Kafka Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a German-speaking Bohemian novelist and short-story writer, widely regarded as one of the major figures of 20th-century literature. His work fuses elements of realism and the fantastic. It ...

's short story '' Give it Up!''

Jeff Goodby Jeff Goodby is an American advertising executive. He is among the co-founders and serves as co-chair of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco. Goodby is also a director and illustrator whose work has appeared in ''Time'' and ''Mother Jon ...

compared the advertisement to

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

's " Tag", interpreted the advertisement as a warning to consumers to enjoy life in a

post-9/11 The post-9/11 period is the time after the September 11 attacks, characterized by heightened suspicion of non-Americans in the United States, increased government efforts to address terrorism, and a more aggressive American foreign policy. Pol ...

world. Goodby, preferring the Xbox commercial, stated "It's interesting they're both about play. But one is happy. The other is dire."

Awards

Despite the controversial nature of the advertisement, the advertisement won several awards, including: *2002: Cannes Lions – International Advertising Festival, Gold Lion for Entertainment & Leisure. *2003: Art Directors Club of Europe Awards – Overall Grand Prix and Gold Winner for Cinema Commercials. *2003:

British Television Advertising Awards The British Arrows (formerly the British Television Advertising Awards (BTAA)) is an advertising awards body in London, which honours the best moving image advertising in the UK. Founded in 1976, the British Arrows awards advertising agencies and p ...

– Silvers for Virals & Cinema. *2003:

D&AD Design and Art Direction (D&AD), formerly known as British Design and Art Direction, is a British educational organisation that was created in 1962 to promote excellence in design and advertising. Its main offices are in Spitalfields in London. I ...

– Silver Awards for TV & Cinema Advertising: Cinema Commercials Individual & Campaigns, and for Direction *2003: International Andy Awards

References

{{Microsoft British banned television advertisements Microsoft advertising campaigns Xbox (console)