InjuredLizard

I’ve just read the transcript of Cadbury’s gorilla advert, which I think is even better than the ad itself.

It’s also a fantastic example of what this A List Apart article by Amber Simmons is on about: copy on the web that fulfils the emotional purpose of its context; alternative text that replaces the video in spirit, not just in name. This advert could, quite reasonably, be summarised in text as, “video of a gorilla playing the drums”. Isn’t Cadbury’s version (copied here since I suspect it’ll disappear at some point) so much nicer!

We open on purple recording studio wall. A title appears: A Glass and a Half Full Production. We start listening to the first sounds of ‘In The Air Tonight’ by Phil Collins.

The camera slowly pans down as we hear the keyboard’s atmospheric intro. When we start listening to the first lyrics we spot a hairy thing in the edge of the frame. As the camera keeps panning, the mysterious figure gets revealed.

We realize that in front of us is a gorilla.It looks calmly to camera. Phil continues singing: ‘I can feel it coming in the air tonight.’

The massive Gorilla stares at us - concentrated. We are almost sure that he knows we are filming him, but his eyes look through and beyond the lens. ‘I’ve been waiting for this moment for all of my life.’

The gorilla focuses back on the camera. All we see is neck and head. And hair.

The camera gently zooms out revealing the Gorilla’s surroundings. We see more of the studio. And we discover a series of metallic things around him.

We realize that the Gorilla is sitting in front of a massive drum kit. One of those Eighties big kits with loads of things to hit. Loads of tom-toms, hi-hats, double bass drum, etc.

We know that the best drum solo in the whole history of rock - ever - is coming. The Gorilla knows it too.

The Gorilla hits the drums with passion and vigour. Elegance meets power. He’s phenomenal on the drums - feeling every beat.

The camera leaves the ape and his drum kit in the studio.

The screen fades to purple. We see a Cadbury Dairy Milk bar of chocolate appear above the words ‘A Glass and a half full of Joy’