New PlayStation ad has a gruesome surprise

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PlayStation has unveiled a new advert, which is designed to truly stick in the memory. Not to spoil things for you, but the focus in on hearts, and not in the way you'd expect to see on Valentine's Day. It's the work of adam&eveDDB, the ad agency best known for its work on the John Lewis & Partners Christmas adverts. But the Bear and the Hare this is not. 

The scene is set in a dingy, dramatic tunnel. Uneasy soldiers navigate the gloom with their torches. So far, we're firmly in traditional war game territory. But then our poor soldiers happen upon a scene that throws all that out of the water. 

The tagline for the spot is 'Feel the Power of PlayStation'. Watch it for yourself below. For more impactful ads, see our roundup of the best print ads.

The aim is to capture what it feels like to play a great PlayStation game – thrilling, tense, new. Once you've got over the weirdness of the whole thing, it's actually an extremely effective advert, and more great work from adam&eveDDB. 

The sound design is immersive; the scale is cinematic. There's something about the sound of an accelerated heartbeat that makes you, as a viewer, feel excited. The collection of beating hearts also calls neatly to mind the social aspect of the gaming community. The odd, dark style and subject matter is reminiscent of PlayStation ads of old. And we're all for it. 

The dramatic unveiling of the new PS5 logo at CES was met with widespread mockery (there's nothing wrong with it... but some argued it was a little too obvious, and some designers tried their hand at creating alternative versions). So we're pleased to see PlayStation is back on form when it comes to promotion.

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