Showing posts with label Cool Spot print ad (1993). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cool Spot print ad (1993). Show all posts

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Cool Spot (1993)

Original ad published in EGM's 1994 Video Game Buyer's Guide (late 1993).
Press to view or download image in higher resolution. 

Read below for the full HD version of the file.

Historical Background and Graphical Analysis


Cool Spot (1993), developed by Virgin, was an above-average platformer that enjoyed some popularity thanks largely to its elaborate character animation.

This was the era of famous mascots. Every company labored to place their own mascot inside gamer’s heads. Some are still with us, like most Nintendo branded mascots; others have passed to a better life (Bubsy). Cool Spot was created by the 7-Up brand to compete for gamers sugary palates, fueled by decades with Mountain Dew and other of drinks. 

Most sugar-filled beverages were still innocuous for the public eye in the early 90s. Dr. Pepper, the owner of the 7-Up brand in the United States, though it would be a good idea to produce a video game to establish the brand with a younger audience. Pepsico, the Worldwide distributor of 7-Up, played along with the marketing scheme. Today Cool Spot the mascot has been all but forgotten, but it remains as an interesting exercise in branding and technology. 



As I stated before, the game does posses a unique feature. The animation of both the Genesis and Super NES releases is top notch, as well as the sound and music. It’s a well produced game. Cool Spot follows the lead established by early animation stand-out games like Castle of Illusion. Starring Mickey Mouse (1990) for Sega’s machine. By 1994, in the last stages of their console lives, both 16-bit consoles featured superbly animated games like Aladdin (1993) and The Lion King  (1994). Animation-wise, the Super NES jumped to a whole different level in late 1994 with Donkey Kong Country

The two-page spread of the ad is very attractive. There’s ample space for the whites, and the copy, if grandiloquent, is appropriate for the directed audience. The mascot is placed strategically so your eyes naturally flow to it after you see actual game screens of the game, finishing with the ad’s copy. A classic “Z-pattern” layout. 






Cool Spot print ad copy


Bulls-eye
You’ve hit it!

This year’s coolest, craziest, funniest, loudest Sega Genesis smash Cool Spot is now available for the Super Nes. 

Cool Spot


coming soon for Sega Game Gear