alt Hacker News> An advertisement for a game does not need to convince me to purchase it over an alternative product, it simply needs to make me aware of its existence and broadly convey what the game is about so that I will know whether it matches my specific game interests closely enough to investigate further.
I agree that it does not need to do more than inform you - but that doesn't mean it won't do more. Please show me a single advertisement for a game that doesn't use bombastic language, show highly selective graphics, or appeal to a sense of nostalgia. I for one haven't seen one, even ones for the niche indie games I respect the most. Sure, not all commercials are equally deceitful, but they are all meant to be persuasive more than informative.
I don't exactly go around saving advertisements, but plainly informational ones do exist here and there. Off of memory, an example of an indie game trailer I think is well-made is that of Wargroove[1]. It's a simple and clear clip reel of gameplay showing off a variety of content and features, and if I recall correctly, advertisements for it were simply smaller slices of the trailer. I think there's nothing offensive about advertisements like this existing (although, that said, the number of times I wish to see such an advertisement is still exactly once).
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62nqJxq3E-4