Sony Unveils Another World First: The BRAVIA-drome

Sony Unveils Another World First: The BRAVIA-drome

World's oldest motion picture technology used to demonstrate the world's newest motion technology - Motionflow 240Hz

MILAN, Italy, Dec. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony today announced its first worldwide creative campaign for Sony BRAVIA(R) televisions. The company built the BRAVIA-drome, the centerpiece for Sony's latest marketing campaign, to provide customers with a visual demonstration of Sony's Motionflow technology.

The BRAVIA-drome was inspired by the zoetrope, a device invented in the 19th century to create short 'films' from a series of static images. This modern day zoetrope is 10 meters across, spins at over 40 kph and is the optimal medium for demonstrating how Motionflow 240Hz technology clearly displays today's fast-action motion pictures.

Sony selected soccer for its continuous movement to fully demonstrate the clarity of Motionflow 240Hz for customers. The technology effortlessly eliminates jerkiness and smoothes the flight of the ball as it hits the net, making fans that are watching the game within the comfort of their own homes feel as though they are at the stadium.

The commercial is filming in a square in Venaria, near Turin, and stars FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d'Or holder, Brazilian soccer sensation Kaka. The FIFA World Cup winner will appear in a series of images inside the BRAVIA-drome performing some of his legendary skills. To add to the excitement, soccer juggling champion Dan Magness will make an appearance at the shoot as he attempts to smash three Guinness World Records. Magness, already known for breaking several different soccer records, has trained some of the very best players in the world - from Francesco Totti to Michael Owen - in the art of controlling a soccer ball.

The Fallon London advertising agency - the creative team behind the 'Balls,' 'Paint' and 'Play-doh' trilogy of BRAVIA commercials - is producing the commercial which is being directed by up and coming director Vernie Yeung, known for directing music videos for top artists including Kylie Minogue. The commercial will be filmed using Sony's F35 Professional HD camera.

"The BRAVIA-drome has been designed to explain the technology behind Motionflow in a way that makes it easy for anyone to understand," says Giles Morrison, General Manager, Marketing Communications, Sony Europe. "As we have proved with previous campaigns, including 'Balls,' 'Paint' and 'Play-doh,' simple ideas effectively executed can be immensely powerful. This is about delivering a truly spectacular experience that people can believe in. The choice of Kaka was an easy one, as not only does he have that superstar quality but football is an ideal way to show our customers the full effect of Motionflow 240Hz."

"I want to create an air of anticipation amongst the watching TV audience," says director Vernie Yeung. "This is achieved by initially revealing some of the smaller details of the structure, then showing it in its entirety to demonstrate the sheer size and scale of the BRAVIA-drome and finally giving the viewer a glimpse of its surroundings. The suspense builds until the perfectly smooth images of Kaka showcasing his amazing skills are unveiled. This advert is a unique event, demonstrated by the look of sheer awe and amazement on the faces of the watching public."

The BRAVIA-drome - designed for easy dismantling and transport for use beyond the shoot itself - will also appear in print, digital and below-the-line elements, such as store fixtures, point-of-sale items and brochures of the overall campaign. Sony has also designed a range of content exclusively for bloggers, Websites and social networks to provide them with a unique BRAVIA-drome experience. Press release and images are available at www.sony.com/news.

BRAVIA-drome Statistics
-- The optimum speed of the BRAVIA-drome is 44kph
-- The BRAVIA-drome can reach speeds of over 50kph
-- The BRAVIA-drome measures 10m in diameter
-- It takes 10 men three days to fully assemble the BRAVIA-drome
-- The BRAVIA-drome is transported by two 40-foot trucks
-- It took six weeks for the BRAVIA-drome to be built in full for the
first time
-- Weighing in at ten tons, it is believed to be the biggest zoetrope
ever built. Guinness World Records are attending the shoot to verify
this record attempt

About Sony:

Sony manufactures audio, video, communications and information technology products for the global consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, game and online businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be one of the world's leading digital entertainment brands. Sony recorded consolidated global annual sales of EUR 55.83 billion (yen 8,296 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007, based on an average market exchange rate for the same period of yen 148.6 to the EUR. It employs approximately 163,000 people worldwide.

In Europe, the Sony Group recorded consolidated annual sales of EUR 13.71 billion (yen 2,038 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007. Sony Europe, headquartered at the Sony Center am Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, is responsible for the company's European electronics business and registered consolidated sales of EUR 9.12 billion for the same period.

For more information on Sony Europe, please visit http://www.sony-europe.com/ and http://www.sony-europe.com/presscenter. For Sony Electronics in the United States, visit www.sony.com/news.

Motionflow
Motionflow is a technology that eliminates the jerkiness sometimes
experienced on standard television sets. This is achieved by creating an
additional, transitional picture that is inserted into fast-moving sequences.
By increasing the number of images, a BRAVIA television can display even the
fastest sports scene smoothly without "judder." The transitional images are
created by examining the pictures that immediately precede and follow the next
image in the sequence. For example, Motionflow looks at the flight of a
soccer ball, to work out how it gets from the player's foot to the goal, and
inserts the relevant transitional images.

Differences in Frame Rates
Televisions in certain regions are advertised as featuring 240Hz
Motionflow; however, the picture quality is the same. Televisions in Europe
use PAL, with a 50Hz standard frequency; US televisions use NTSC with a 60Hz
standard. A four times increase in frequency using Motionflow results in the
200Hz for PAL countries and 240Hz in NTSC territories.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Sony

CONTACT: Honey Mae Kenworthy of Sony Electronics Inc., +1-858-942-2940,
honeymae.kenworthy@am.sony.com; or Ruth Speakman, +44 (0)1932 816 994,
ruth.speakman@eu.sony.com, or Maja Hauke, +44 (0)1932 81 7383,
maja.hauke@eu.sony.com, both of Sony Europe

Web Site: http://www.sony.com/news
http://www.sony-europe.com/

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