Imagine all the hype, excitement, and anticipation associated with the Superbowl, World Series, and NBA National Championship combined and make it into a month-long soccer tournament every 4 years. That is pedestal that the World Cup rests on in Europe, which nearly reaches national holiday status in most European countries. Now add a 3D broadcast, and you have a phenomenon.
Sony just announced its “fake 3D” ad campaign for the 2010 World Cup to truly show the audience what they are missing without upgrading to Sony’s new 3D TV, conveniently on sale in the U.K. the day before the first match.
The campaign will show the ads as they appear using 3D broadcasting without the needed technology, creating a grainy, blurry image that can only be corrected if the viewer purchases the TV.
This is, in my opinion, a stroke of marketing genius. Sony has made a name for itself with its 3D movies, such as Alice in Wonderland; however, because 3D DVDs are still a bit of a nuance, Sony could not solely rely on these to create a need for their new 3D TVs.
Instead, Sony has created a market for its product, not unlike Edison did for his radical invention of the light bulb. Ideally, Sony hopes this campaign/product duo will solidify them as the forerunner in 3D technology and TV sets.
Although this campaign will not run in the United States, the mainstream use of 3D technology in advertising no longer seems to be looming in the distant future.
"I pity the fool who doesn't know the theme to The A-Team!"
What ever did happen to the TV themes we grew up with? I was reminded of this the other day as I was humming the theme to The A-Team with my five year old son. (He has committed most of it to memory now.) In fact, this is such a great theme, when you listen to the new movie trailer, you can pick out the theme from the original TV series. A classic.
It struck me as odd to see only a five second musical chord build and a big letter “V” for the TV series V. In fact, one of the only theme songs I can remember from more modern TV shows is the Law and Order theme. “Who wrote that?”, I thought to myself. Wikipedia credits the theme and most of it’s soundtrack to Mike Post.
I dug deeper into my more formative TV watching years of the 1980s and early 90s:
How about The A-Team?: Mike Post
Hill Street Blues?: Mike Post
Greatest American Hero?: Mike Post
Magnum P.I.?: Mike Post
Prolific Composers Wear Short Shorts
Mike Post, composer of the TV theme song to Magnum, P.I., pictured here with Tom Selleck on a 45 RPM album cover. Permission by R. Masters.
The same goes with LA Law, Quantum Leap, Doogie Howser, MD, NYPD Blue, and just about every successful TV show over the last 30 years. Even if Mike Post didn’t write the opening theme music, he’s scored literally thousands of the soundtracks to many of the TV shows we still watch today. In fact, Mr. Post is also good friends with Stephen J. Cannell, the creator of over 40 TV series.
So my question is this: Without Post and Cannell, would the extinction of the TV theme song have taken place even sooner? Perhaps, but in today’s world where networks forgo the intro theme to fit in another :30 TV commercial for profit, I believe there is still a place for a TV theme song, the kind that you can remember and hum along with your five-year old son. Perhaps TIVO and DVR technology will help, and the true value of the intro theme music will be appreciated once again. Until then…
Thanks for the memories, Mr. Mike Post.
So our little city is well-known for its chili. (We love it here at HQ.) To many folks, it’s not really chili, but that’s a whole other story.
The thing about chili in Cincinnati is there are factions of fans here that almost religiously support one establishment, never setting foot in a competitor. This has made for an interesting competition between the two main players, Skyline and Goldstar.
It looks like someone is trying to take that rivalry to the next level and settle once and for all, who the true Cincinnati chili champion is.
I’d like to go on record and state that I’m biased on the topic, but am psyched to see that people are lobbying for the Travel Channel’s ‘Food Wars’ to come to Cincinnati for a throwdown, Cincinnati Chili Style. Apparently, there were more requests on the “Food Wars” website for a Cincinnati Chili episode than for any other city or any other type of food, according to a story on Cincinnati.com.
Our city is becoming quite well known for its culinary delights, as Food Network’s “Diners, Drive Ins and Dives” with Guy Fieri was recently in town, and tiny OTR diner Tucker’s was named one of the best diners in the country by GQ Magazine (March 2009 issue).
We keep trying to tell you, there is fun stuff going on in Cincinnati. Come visit, you’ve always got a place to stay at HyperQuake.
