Lilith Games wants to steal you away

Out of Blink Productions and Wieden+Kennedy London comes a nerdy, referential ad that launches AFK Arena into the wild. 

In a very domestic setting, Elijah Wood plays a quick game on his phone. From upstairs, his partner-in-crime, an orc named Uzgahk, comes down the stairs, and asks when Elijah’s going to be ready for another marathon gaming session. Embarrassed, and Caught in the Act, Elijah hides his phone, only for Uzgahk to realize...he’s being cheated on. 

Totally tongue in cheek, referencing both the eponymous World of Warcraft RPG and the Lord of the Rings franchise that launched Wood’s career, the ad is clever and silly, and not afraid to make fun of itself. Directed by Nick Ball, the spot transports fantasy woes into soap opera beats, creating an off-center, but certainly appealing film. 

Elijah Wood says that he thought he had seen the last of Orcs, but being caught in a love triangle between a needy character and a new game is “surprisingly not the weirdest thing that’s happened this year.”