visa

Visa ‘Life Flows Better’ – with stolen sounds?

March 8, 2010 in All posts

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!