What you see: This one is short by video standards, clocking in at just 1 minute, 25 seconds. Still, AC/DC fans get the full effect of the guitar-heavy music video in a throwback, dot-matrix kind of way. The graphics are little better than a Wall Street Journal ink dot drawing, but if you are a fan of chunky, early-’90s style font awkwardly scrolling down the screen, you are in for a foot-stomping treat.
Take out/take-away: For those about to rock, get out your Excel spreadsheet! … Hmm, maybe not. But there is a reason for this low-fi approach. The creators wanted to produce a video that could be easily shared, one that would evade corporate firewall protection. Even the least permissive firewalls allow Excel spreadsheets, the thinking goes.
Social-media effect: It's six months after the ASCII version of the Black Ice video was launched, and it's still generating a buzz, picking up a dozen new Twitter tweets in multiple languages in the past week alone. Geeks seem to love the retro feel. But, as always, what the suits at the label want to know is, Will it sell any records? It's hard to argue with these stats: The album has hit No. 1 in 29 countries, earning double-platinum honors in the United States. Judging by the comments left on YouTube, even Microsoft's Excel brand looks a bit cooler.
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