Viral Review: Lapsed Gamers Answer The ‘Call Of Duty’

This article was originally published in Campaign

Video game ads are a curious beast. After all, games are typically pitched off the back of their trailers, and the biggest names in gaming barely need to advertise to attract their diehard fans back for more.

What this means is that when so-called ‘Triple A’ games choose to release a live-action spot, they’ve usually got a pretty great reason for it.

The latest work supporting the upcoming launch of the latest instalment in Activision’s Call of Duty series is no exception.

Pitching its latest World War Two adventure, the brand decided to accompany the usual slew of trailers with something a little bit different. The new spot ‘Reassemble!’ centres the experience of loyal gamers over the content of the game itself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEtVoVAF1Uw

Specifically, we get a glimpse into the reunion of a former gaming squad who have since taken up the mantle of adulthood. Fans of arrested adolescence, keep watching.

Our hero is a leather jacket-clad goofball who sets about getting his friends back together to play the latest Call of Duty. The mission may not be as sexy as a casino robbery, but he’s the George Clooney for this ‘Ocean’s 11’ and ruthlessly enlists his friends, work and family obligations be damned.

“Getting the team back together” is always an enjoyable film trope, and Simon McQuoid shoots ‘Reassemble!’ with the easy charm of a 70s heist film. Obviously, the ad culminates in a heroic ‘Reservoir Dogs’-style slow-motion walk, only to be humorously interrupted by a tiny child on a tricycle.

Of course, Call of Duty has a strong reputation for this kind of live-action sideshow. As the franchise’s popularity has soared, so too has the ambition of its blockbuster spots.

Consider 2013’s ‘The Vet and The N00B’, which plonked Jonah Hill and Sam Worthington into the game as the eponymous mismatched players, or the particularly inventive ‘Randall Higgins: KillCameraMan’, from 2015.

This mini-epic starred comedian Rob Huebel as the gung-ho cameraman who gleefully records every in-game slaying, all the while headbanging along to The White Stripes.

Produced by 72andsunny, ‘Reassemble!’ is another strong effort from Call of Duty’s Imaginarium, sure to get both long-time devotees and new players hyped for launch day.

Besides its exceptional productional value and charming execution, it’s clear that a lot of adult viewers will find something to relate to in this tale of sacking off responsibility in favour of hanging out with your mates. Book a babysitter and enjoy.