Promotional Consideration: Communion Day

"Communion Day" by Leo Burnett, Milan
Click the resized picture for a larger version.
Sunday sacraments. Relatives with cameras. Distracted youth.
The gray hardware overlayed on the bottom right betrays this print advertisement's age, but it also serves to explain the photo's otherwise subtle composition. Formally dressed for their first Eucharist, the boys in the back row seem almost too well-behaved, their heads bowed in what looks like a gesture of Catholic respect. A second or two of puzzling the scene out, however, tells a more mischievous story. Unfortunately for the front-and-centered young girls, their virginal white dresses lack any pockets to hide their own handhelds.
Though it's implied that the above photo was taken on church steps, it was actually shot at the Pinacoteca di Brera, an art gallery and museum -- one of Italy's largest -- in downtown Milan. We had a chance to speak with Rosemary Collini Bosso, Leo Burnett's art director behind this particular ad, and she explained that the company was attempting to suggest the Nintendo DS as a perfect communion gift, playing on the "devotion" gamers have for their consoles.
Click the resized picture for a larger version.
Sunday sacraments. Relatives with cameras. Distracted youth.
The gray hardware overlayed on the bottom right betrays this print advertisement's age, but it also serves to explain the photo's otherwise subtle composition. Formally dressed for their first Eucharist, the boys in the back row seem almost too well-behaved, their heads bowed in what looks like a gesture of Catholic respect. A second or two of puzzling the scene out, however, tells a more mischievous story. Unfortunately for the front-and-centered young girls, their virginal white dresses lack any pockets to hide their own handhelds.
Though it's implied that the above photo was taken on church steps, it was actually shot at the Pinacoteca di Brera, an art gallery and museum -- one of Italy's largest -- in downtown Milan. We had a chance to speak with Rosemary Collini Bosso, Leo Burnett's art director behind this particular ad, and she explained that the company was attempting to suggest the Nintendo DS as a perfect communion gift, playing on the "devotion" gamers have for their consoles.











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
hvnlysoldr @ Jul 8th 2007 2:11PM
So is it possible to say every region's advertising has good moments and some real stinkers? Can you keep track of each region in a scorecard to see whose regions have the best advertising?
Nushio @ Jul 9th 2007 12:11AM
hvnlysoldier: possibly Europe, with their crazy GBMicro rat ad which ended up getting banned or censored.
MeLeNaS @ Jul 9th 2007 3:57AM
Good idea and original picture. Just one complaint: we girls play DS, too.
Cheers from Europe ;)
BPM @ Jul 9th 2007 5:31AM
@Nushio:
Actually, the commercial of the lab rat that REALLY LOVED the Game Boy micro was from Canada.
Nushio @ Jul 9th 2007 1:20PM
My bad, BPM, I always thought it was from those crazy brits! (No offense meant to all you crazy brits)