Rock

The World Finally is Ready for Plastic Bertrand

March 12, 2018
2 Min Read

Marketers have a strong sense of what sticks in people’s minds and what gets a particular reaction. They study this stuff.

So it’s interesting to consider the music they choose for their commercials. Above is “Ca Plane Pour Moi” by a 1970s Roger Allen François Jouret, a Belgian avante garde artist who fronted the band Plastic Bertrand. (Or, he was also (or he was known as Plastic Bertrand. It’s a bit fuzzy.) The song was used this year in a Johnie Walker commercial. With some possible exceptions, it’s the best song ever. Note the shout out to The Beach Boys.

I am not authority on avante garde Belgian music, but I am fairly confident that nobody heard of Plastic Bertrand again. Jouet, apparently, is a television “presenter,” which what a talk show host is called in Europe.

Even this song has a backstory. It was covered years later by Lou Deprijck, the original producer. Here is Quora’s translation of the lyrics, such as they are.

Two other notable covers were used in Heineken commercials: A song by Mohammad Rafi was taken from the Indian 1965 film “Gumnaam” and used in a Heineken commercial. It’s fabulous. “Chambermaid Swing” by Parov Stelar was used in a Bicardi commercial.

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