Robonzo Independent Drummer

At a recent rehearsal with new Redwood band members, I played one of my favorite fills-for-laughs, the intro to Phil Collins‘ In the Air Tonight. The following day, I received in my inbox a fantastic video advert from Cadbury Chocolate’s 2007 brand revival campaign. It’s a must watch for almost anyone, especially if you’re familiar with this Phil Collins classic.

We recently posted news on Phil, which didn’t gain much traffic (sorry Phil), but I’m hoping this will finally draw attention to his musical genius. OK, that could be considered a stretch by many, but few will argue that this video ad is genius. Produced by Glass and a Half Full Productions, the ad’s Gorilla costume was superbly created by Stan Winston Studios. Possibly the best moment of the ad is the sound of the Gorilla’s breathe heard moments before he rips into the Collins anthem. As a viral marketing success, the ad was created to help uplift Cadbury’s public image in the wake of a 2007 product recall.

There have been a couple of variations and hack knock-offs of the video ad, but this one is hands down the best. How I managed to go all this time without seeing it, is beyond me.

~r