One trend we’ve noticed the last couple weeks in online video is that brands have developed an appreciation for the past. Specifically, many brands are finding ways to leverage the nostalgia and memories of viewers by going retro.
Polygon went retro within their own world of video games to bring us A Brief History Of Video Games, a sight-and-sound extravaganza for millions of former gamers–yes, your former favorite game is included:
For premium content brands, trailers are the best thing since sliced bread. If the content is compelling, and the trailer cut together in an exciting and intriguing manner, then fans can get excited. And when fans get excited… they share. Here are some of the most shared gaming and movie trailers from last week:
Sherlock Holmes 2: The first film wasn’t a runaway hit, but showed enough promise that there are still plenty of fans anticipating the sequel:
Another trailer getting tons of buzz this week on social media is the one for Chronicle. Chronicle is a bit of a mash-up between the found-footage style of movie (like Cloverfield) and the superhero genre. And it’s that unique mix, combined with a very well executed trailer, that has impressed viewers:
Video game trailers are almost as popular as movie trailers these days. Gaming is huge business, and the upcoming Battlefield 3 lays it all on the line with a final “launch trailer” packed with cinematic, intense footage:
Batman Arkham City is another hotly anticipated game, bringing the free-roaming style of game play to the world of the Caped Crusader. They scored with a game-footage trailer:
And then, just to prove their viral success was no fluke, they put out a standard commercial for the game, and that spot went viral as well. It features some gameplay footage, but mostly consists of two fans of the game trading hilariously lame insults: