Cadbury's drumming gorilla

A lot has been said about our friend, the Cadbury gorilla lately. He arrived on our screens in New Zealand a few weeks ago (yes, even our ads are way behind overseas). I must admit, the first time I saw it, I didn’t know what to make of the ad. Did I like it or not? Hearing Phil Collins's drone immediately turned me off, but after putting that aside, there was something I couldn’t resist. Was it this gorilla’s wonderful restraint fighting against anticipation, the ultimate power you know he possesses, his perfect timing, his full head of hair, or the fact that he reminds me of someone I know? ;-)




But what is he advertising? The first two times I saw the ad, I had no idea. Chocolate, you say?? What’s chocolate got to do with a drumming gorilla? Absolutely nothing. And who cares? Not me, any more.

According to Wikipedia, the ad was designed to "step away from pushing the product through traditional advertising means, and instead produce "entertainment pieces" which would appeal to a broader range of consumers and spread through viral marketing – that is, through word of mouth". A bit like the old Telecom ads featuring various cute wild animals prancing around to familiar soundtracks. They had nothing to do with what they were advertising, but they made the viewer feel good and the public loved them. The same goes for our gorilla.

I loved Phil Collins's comment: "Not only is he a better drummer than me, he also has more hair. Can he sing too?"

If ever we needed persuading to buy chocolate, the gorilla would certainly do the trick. (Not that I'd ever wait for a reason to buy chocolate, that is.)