The Briefing Room

The agency creatives at McCann Erickson/San Francisco called on the talents of POP Sound‘s Mitch Dorf for the final mix of a very unusual commercial. The :30 “Unremarkable” touts the “un-attributes” of the cars featured in Xbox‘s “Forza Motorsport 2.” The unique spot is currently airing nationwide.

With “Forza Motorsport 2,” Microsoft and Xbox 360 have unleashed their extraordinary new graphics in a game not really tainted by magical fantasy and indomitable heroes. Instead, the game title is an exciting and challenging “race simulation.” Created entirely from footage from “Forza Motorsport 2” and with a purposeful play on slick car ads, “Unremarkable” begins on an empty speedway. As two cars enter the frame, the narrator notes surprisingly: “These cars are unremarkable.” The cars speed by. “They don‘t have booster rockets; they won‘t take a hairpin at 400 miles an hour.” Continuing to show footage of cars in the heat of a race, as crowds enjoy the excitement, the narrator turns more serious. “They‘re not indestructible. Nothing remarkable in that. They‘re no different from any real car, which is what makes them so … remarkable.”