Microsoft got the director of Seven, Fight Club, and Alien 3 to make an Xbox commercial

Microsoft and Samsung announce a surprising collaboration to make an Xbox commercial with the director of Seven, Fight Club, Zodiac, and Alien 3.

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One of the most unlikely people just made an Xbox ad: David Fincher, the director of grisly psychological thrillers, put together interesting visual commentary on the "rat race" of life. The footage tells the tale of Horatio, just an everyday anthropomorphic bipedal rat caught up in the humdrum rigmarole of modern life. Every scene has that dark and gritty 90s feel that Fincher is known for, complete with analog technology, towering file cabinets, dull fluorescents, and smoky city streets. There's also a message at the end of the video.

This ad isn't for a game or a product, but more of a cinematic slice of interesting visual appeal that promotes the entire Xbox brand. Samsung's partnership with Microsoft has extended to cross-brand promos for cloud gaming, and this is yet another part of that marketing arrangement.

In Xbox's Wake Up, directed by David Fincher and Romain Chassaing, a wonderfully off-beat fairy tale unfolds: Horatio, a rat, rekindles his humanity through the joy of gaming. We follow Horatio through a day in the rat race: a packed commute, the drudgery of the office, a rushed lunch at his desk. The mundanity is interrupted by glimpses of mysterious gamers-the only humans we see amongst the rats. After a long day, Horatio powers on his Xbox on his Samsung OLED TV and connects with his friends. A much-needed dose of fun transforms him into the human he always was.