Visa ‘Life Flows Better’ – with stolen sounds?
I was lying in bed recently, and caught the new VISA ‘Life Flows Better’ ad. It’s here for your viewing pleasure (YouTube embedded):
This is all well and good…but being a massive geek, I noticed something. Play the video above again, and listen to the noise the camel makes at 0:20. Hear that noise? That’s not a camel noise: oh no.
It’s a sound from a zombieman out of the DOOM video game.
Evidence? Why certainly:
- Download the sound clip (12.7kb WAV)
- Embedded sound clip (needs Quicktime): http://wadview.bigredtower.com/cwWADView.dll/Sounds/DSPODTH1?View&WAD=DOOM&Loop=false
- Doom Wiki with sound references: http://doom.wikia.com/wiki/Zombieman
Does anyone know who made the VISA ad? (EDIT: Apparently Saatchi & Saatchi made it). I’d be interested to know whether the sound was officially licensed from (presumably) id software who own the Doom franchises. Or perhaps it’s so old that it’s now available in the public domain? Anyone know?
And yes, I fully accept I’m a massive geek for recognising a half-second sound clip from a game that was released 17 years ago.
p.s: Big thanks to http://doom.wikia.com: loadsa Doom knowledge!
George
George Rosier runs this blog. It's somewhere he can vent his spleen about web design, usability, SEO, and other such nonsense that will no doubt mean nothing in 5 years' time.
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So it is! Great game, may have to find it again!
I don’t think there are ad agencies going through old video games for sound effects. It’s just one of many stock audio clips that get used.
There are loads of these re-used sound clips in tv, film and games. When you start to notice them, you hear them everywhere.
At least they didn’t use the Wilhelm scream.
I noticed this too and just found this blog when Googling for it!
I’m sure id couldn’t sue…considering how much they ripped off to make Doom in the first place…
the sound effect probably just comes from a stock audio library. or is the actual sound of a camel and id conned us into thinking thats the noise a zombieman makes when they die haha
@C Kent
It’s a fair point, though I didn’t mean I thought people were specifically trawling old computer games for sounds – rather whether this particular sound was either a) Licensed for use from id, or b) So old it was now considered PD.
The Wilhelm scream rocks.
@Paul
Extra kudos to id if they’ve fooled us by using camel sounds in DOOM!
Yeah I noticed this too! The sound was one of a number in the original Doom game which ID licensed to use in Doom. They never owned the rights to it themselves. There must be a doom-sound-spotters guide somewhere on the internet surely … off to have a google.
For anyone interested I really recommend the book Masters of Doom by David Kushner, all about the making of Doom.
@Richard Carter
i thought i was playing too much doom as i have been playing doom,doom 2 both on xbla and ps1 doom alot recently strange coincidence