As an integral part of popular culture, it’s no surprise that video game references often pervade other mediums. This is usually especially notable in film and television. No one could have guessed perfume ads would begin implementing such references, though. Yet, this seems to be the case with a commercial for Brazilian cosmetic company O Boticário’s new perfume, The Blend. In the two-minute cinematic ad, one shot near the middle appears to directly pay homage to the Death Stranding teaser trailer presented during The Game Awards in 2017.
A user on Reddit, Dellart, spotted the Death Stranding nod in The Blend ad, which O Boticário recently published on its official YouTube channel. After Dellart made note of the similarities on the game’s subreddit, MP1st posted a side-by-side comparison video, showcasing the moment in The Blend commercial that evidently draws from a scene in Death Stranding’s TGA 2017 trailer.
See the side-by-side comparison video from MP1st below:
Does that count as a Death Stranding nod, or might this be mere coincidence? Viewers can judge for themselves. The following video is the full two-minute commercial for O Boticário’s The Blend perfume. Given the creatively bizarre, yet intriguing nature of the ad, it seems fair to posit the director may be a Kojima fan.
Death Stranding’s most recent trailer came alongside a surprising release date announcement. The new title from Kojima will launch exclusively on the PlayStation 4 later this year on November 8th. Both the game and its $200 Collector’s Edition are available for preorder at a variety of online and retail stores.
During the recent San Diego Comic Con festivities, Kojima unveiled Death Stranding’s box art. The cover art will differ between the game’s standard edition and its steelbook casing. SDCC 2019 also came with news that director Nicolas Refn originally recommended Keanu Reeves play the role Kojima had in mind for Mads Mikkelsen.
