A lot of people like to debate the merits of film. Everyone has a favorite. Some people like “Gone With the Wind.” Others like “The Godfather.”
Me? My favorite movie of all time is the promo ad for the Montegrappa Chaos Watch and Pens, which were designed by Sylvester Stallone.
Before I go any further into how this pen and watch’s advertising campaign is the stuff dreams are made of, why don’t you take a look for yourself? Grab a seat and some popcorn.
Astounding. Just absolutely remarkable. My only complaint is that the ad isn’t longer. It is, without a doubt, the most over-the-top ad campaign for the most over-the-top product that’s ever existed.
The ad is from 2013, by the way, but for some reason the internet only noticed it last week. Here’s part of the full video description on YouTube:
It rewrote the rules for pen design with its virile, majestic, imposing form. Now, the Chaos Pen conceived by Sylvester Stallone has its story told in true Hollywood fashion. Available to view here is the Chaos video, a masterful visual experience that conveys the might and power of the Chaos Pen and the recently-introduced Chaos Watch, through a widescreen creation by filmmaker Wendell Marinho da Silva.
Narrated by Mr. Stallone over a stately soundtrack reminiscent of heroic swords-and-sorcery blockbusters, the three-minute film reveals every captivating detail of the pen and wristwatch, with evocative images rarely seen outside of big screen sagas. The viewer can appreciate immediately the impact of a writing instrument and a timepiece inspired by the religious, mystical and spiritual art of the Middle Ages, communicated by a film rich with the atmosphere of legendary sagas, from Beowulf to Lord of the Rings.
Virile.
Imposing.
These are words that don’t typically accompany advertising for pens, and yet here we are.
We had so much to say about this that PM Editor in Chief Sean Norris and I had a pretty lively back and forth via email.
I can’t get over this. I’ll never get over it. I don’t want to get over it. I want to use this pen to experience the imposing writing experience, but, alas, I don’t have $6,150 to shell out for this pen. That is actually how much it costs. There’s another, pirate-themed model that is $66,700.
This pen represents pure material excess. It is needlessly grand.
And it is the greatest thing I have ever seen.
Most ad campaigns use some degree of hyperbole to appeal to the masses. That’s OK! That’s just the nature of the beast. You need to market your product and beat the competition. But this is past hyperbole. There isn’t a strong enough word in English to describe the level of absurdity used here.
Are they going to sell a lot of pens based on this advertisement and price? Probably not. It’s like a wizard turned Ed Hardy into a pen.
But will we remember it?
Always.
