Key facts
| Brand | Cadbury (Dairy Milk) |
| Year | 2007 (TV debut on 31 August 2007) |
| Agency | Fallon London |
| Director | Juan Cabral |
| Music | Phil Collins, “In the Air Tonight” |
| Actor | Garon Michael in the gorilla costume |
| Length | 90 seconds |
What is it about and how was it made?
A gorilla sits at a drum kit and plays the drum break from Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight”. That was the whole concept: Cadbury’s marketing director had asked for work showing that chocolate makes people feel good. Fallon London pitched the gorilla idea in March 2007.
According to reports the idea grew out of an office debate about the best drum solo ever. Garon Michael, who played the gorilla, practised the break repeatedly. Filming reportedly took one day.
The spot first aired in the finale of the eighth series of “Big Brother”. Cadbury’s marketing director Phil Rumbol was reportedly told the ad would never be shown and pushed it through.
Read the numbers with care
Reports cite a 10 percent sales boost and the Grand Prix at Cannes; sources differ on the year of the award (2007/2008). Details such as the number of motors in the costume come from a single source (Luerzer’s Archive).
What brands can take away (our interpretation)
- Emotion instead of product information: the spot explains nothing and still sticks.
- Bold ideas need clients who push them through.
- A known song can win twice: “In the Air Tonight” reportedly returned to the charts.
Planning your own spot? The TV spot production guide explains the process, the agency brief template helps with the commission.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Gorilla (advertisement)
- Luerzer’s Archive: Cadbury, 2007: Gorilla
- Marketing Week: Why Cadbury’s Gorilla ad nearly didn’t get made
This article only states facts we can substantiate from the sources linked below. The section “What brands can take away” is our own interpretation.