How DDB and Porsche Brought a 50 Year-Old Video Game Back to Life with Atari
Motor Sports are fascinating. The fast-paced environment and adrenaline-filled triumph that follows the revs of engines at the start line is what keeps people coming back for more. It’s the whiff of burnt rubber, and the spray of champagne on the first-place podium.
Then you’ve got arcade games… the 8-bit figures jumping from platform to platform. The iconic music that sings as you win, sending victory coursing through your veins. Hands-on the buttons, friends gathered around your shoulders, eyes glued to the screen watching as one white square bounces from one side of the screen to another.
Take those two things, classic arcade and motor sports and you’ve got something that is beyond incredible.
Nostalgia has long been a favourite playground for marketers. DDB, Porsche and Atari have gone the extra mile by creating a playable version of the 1970s arcade game, Pong. It’s electrifying seeing the two drivers navigate their way through a life-sized version of the game. It’s thrilling to play, and thoroughly enjoyable. Above all else, the team behind the campaign must be commended for taking a classic and reforming it to appeal to a new generation.
To go behind the scenes of the ad, LBB’s Casey Martin caught up with DDB’s creative director, Giles Watson
LBB> The combination of nostalgia and new technology is brilliant, how did the concept come about?
Giles> Porsche is a well-renowned legend in the automotive industry – known for making some of the most iconic cars in history. And the Taycan is completely revolutionary and set to become a real classic… So, when the team saw it was Atari’s 50th anniversary of PONG, we saw an opportunity to use our cars to celebrate and bring new life to another classic. A game that had once created such an impact itself.
LBB> The spot itself is incredibly unique, what were the most exciting moments when filming?
Giles> So much went into the planning. How the game and technology would work, and how we’d even capture it all in the most exciting way possible. So the moment we were able to stand on location and see the parameters of the court light up was spectacularly fulfilling. Of course, seeing the cars and drones in action, and watching the drivers push these cars to the limit was pretty great too.
LBB> How much of the game was left up to the drivers and the AI-controlled drone? Was it really a massive game of Pong?
Giles> Our approach for the entire production was to allow the game to play out as naturally as possible. To let the activation do the talking, so to speak. Whilst it wasn’t a complete one-shot-wonder, and we used some clever camera framing to accentuate how close the drone came to the cars, we aimed to do it all for real. The end shot coming out of the retro arcade machine, however… that required a little more help from the editor.
LBB> Talk us through how you managed to achieve this wondrous feat of creating a real-life version of the game.
Giles> We worked very closely with Airbag, who put together an incredible team that understood our vision and got to work on the amazing technology and production. What may sound simple on paper took hours of prep, finessing, trial and error, and a bunch of nail-biting test flights. Every detail was scrutinised.
And given how quick these cars are – 0-100km/hour in 2.4 seconds – it wasn’t just the technology behind the campaign that proved a challenge. Each element had to be thought through with precision, from getting a drone quick enough to push the cars to their limits, to finding a location that was big enough to work but small enough to keep the activation intimate, so the action was close and exciting.
LBB> Was there anything unexpected that you learnt while making the spot and working with Atari?
Giles> You really can’t understate just how important and powerful some brands are in culture. It was amazing to see how naturally loveable something becomes when you bring two great, and culturally iconic brands together. Working with Atari meant everyone could completely nerd out and put all focus on making the most epic game of Porsche Pong possible. It made the entire process beautifully single-minded and incredibly fun.
