One With the Shadows + Sizzling Self-Promotion: Advertising Annual 2022 Winners

Advertising is the free reign of creative control with clients eager to create a final visual that attracts consumers from within and outside their demographic range. With the right advertising, the power to evoke action within people is the point and these two Graphis winners highlight just that. 

Visuals are not only important in a video game, but also in its advertisement. Video game developer Activision wanted dramatic, iconic imagery to promote their hit 2019 video game, “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice” (above), while highlighting the game’s tone, character and overall offerings. PETROL Advertising, who previously designed advertisements for Far Cry 6, was given the job, and the results provide the viewer a chance to momentarily step into the shoes of the game’s protagonist.

The game, while being an action-adventure game, also has elements of stealth mixed in, giving players a chance to sneak around enemies and kill them undetected. PETROL leaned into that with their illustrations and 3D work, using shadows to great effect with keeping the main character’s face hidden and making the game setting and environment more dangerous and mysterious. There’s a sense of urgency in both ads; whether it’s the protagonist’s with completing his mission or the viewer’s with wanting to find out more about the game is up for debate, but either way, the game’s secretive, perilous atmosphere is clear.

“The results were a success, as the key visuals were very dramatic, elevated, and tonal that helped tell the Sekiro story and communicate the attitude and feeling players will experience when playing,” states PETROL Advertising. 

Who better to advertise an advertisment firm than an advertisement firm? With this mindset, it’s a no brainer that Davis Elen Advertising took charge when designing their 2022 Gold winning video ad, “Davis Elen Sizzle Reel” (above). Created by Ben Blascoe and edited by Alex Neiberg, the firm thought that the best thing to do would be to make a quick-hitting, eye-catching video that would showcase the agency’s wide-ranging executional capabilities. To do that, Blascoe collected top moments from various commercials he and the firm, which has offices in Virginia, Missouri, California, and Washington, have done with their numerous high profile clients such as Toyota, McDonalds, and Dolby. Set to a piece of modern classical music, the clips move from one to another at a good pace and quite seamlessly, often using the movement captured in the film clips as movement indicators. Only a minute long, the commerical is fun yet informational, showing the type of work Davis Elen can provide for anyone needing advertisement and looking for someone who can create skilled, stunning work. This compilation ended up becoming the most viewed piece on their website. 

To see more 2022 Graphis Advertising Annuals, click here. To enter our 2023 Advertising competition, click here.