• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer, December 29, 2005

The hype surrounding an ad for Sony Bravia LCD TVs was running rampant long before the ultimate campaign stunt. It's not every day that San Francisco closes off 12 of its infamously hilly streets to launch 250,000 colorful bouncing rubber balls from a cannon. Sony used the balls to illustrate the enhanced color quality offered by its Bravia LCD TVs.

"Balls" broke in the U.K. in November as a two-and-a-half minute roadblock during the entire commercial break prior to the Chelsea versus Manchester United soccer game on Sky Sports One. The spot also ran in 20-, 30-, and 60-second versions that ran throughout Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

Using the tagline "Colour like no other" and set to a remake of The Knifes song "Heartbeats," the ad follows the balls as they bounce off houses, cars, street signs, and trees. The spot garnered a fan base, leading Sony to launch a Web site, www.bravia-advert.com, featuring the ad and behind-the-scenes footage about its creation by Fallon London.