David Lynch’s bizarre 2000 advert for the PlayStation 2 has been shared by fans following the filmmaker’s death yesterday, aged 78.
READ MORE: David Lynch – 1946-2025: a true visionary who reinvented cinema
Lynch was an iconic director who created the beloved Twin Peaks series and also collaborated with musicians such as Duran Duran, Nine Inch Nails and Interpol.
However in 2000, Lynch teamed up with Sony to create an advert for its new console, the PlayStation 2, which was just about to launch in Europe. The campaign was called ‘The Third Place’, with Sony wanting to showcase the immersive power of the new tech.
Shot in black and white, featuring a dread-inducing score and with plenty of bizarre encounters, ‘Welcome To The Third Place’ is the perfect introduction to the strange worlds Lynch created with his films. It confused gamers at the time but now the adverts are being re-shared, following Lynch’s death.
RIP David Lynch
Here’s the iconic PS2 ad he made for us 25 years ago. pic.twitter.com/lYlJfLFjby
— PlayStation AU (@PlayStationAU) January 17, 2025
“We need more weird ads like that,” wrote one fan on X. “Love how it’s like Sony just handed Lynch some money and told him to just make whatever and they stitched in a PS2 Logo at the end of it. Gonna miss that fucking weirdo,” said another. “This video really changed me,” added a third fan.
In a 1999 chat with Movieline about directing commercials, Lynch explained: “The money’s good, and the added bonus is that I get to use and learn about the latest technology, tools that normally wouldn’t be available to me, and then I can use those tools in my feature work.”
Lynch’s family confirmed his death yesterday via a statement shared on social media. Later, it was reported that his death came after he was “forced to relocate from his house” due to the Los Angeles wildfires. Last year, Lynch reaveled he had been diagnosed with emphysema, which causes issues with breathing.
Longtime collaborator and friend Kyle MacLachlan has since paid tribute to the late filmmaker, saying he “owes” his life and career to Lynch. Steven Spielberg, Edgar Wright, James Gunn, Hugh Jackman, Billy Corgan, Questlove and more have also paid tribute.
The post David Lynch’s bizarre PlayStation 2 ad goes viral following his death appeared first on NME.
