Phil Collins vs. The Cadbury Gorilla

Just under three years ago, Cadbury scored a monster advertising hit with this commercial depicting a Gorilla emotionally drumming along to Phil Collins’ classic 1985 single, “In The Air Tonight.”

While we admit the choice of soundtrack music was spot on and the direction fantastic, we find the general inclination of the piece to be a tad bit insulting to the musical gift that Phil Collins spent years honing to perfection.  The commercial suggests that the mere emotion of the song would fill the Gorilla in question with enough angst and subsequent skill to hammer out the rather impressive drum-work that the ever-so talented Mr. Collins so expertly laid down in a recording session that may or may have not required hours of tinkering and toil in the studio. To have this Gorilla appear to perform at such a high level is to make the statement that what Phil Collins is capable of is nothing special, because a mere primate can easily ape his actions. Or to put it another way; anything Phil can do a monkey is capable of carrying out  an equal or greater value version of that very same thing.

Well, we here at “One More Knight” scoff at that notion. Don’t get us wrong, we’re not averse to thinking there are some very talented apes out there who can sign the crap out of the sentence “I feel sleepy” to some scientists in a lab, but when it comes to slapping the skins with the vim and vigor of mega-talented musician such as  Phil then there’s simply no contest. We assume you’d also like to tell us that a baboon would have done better harmonizing with Philip Bailey on “Easy Lover” and that you know a chimpanzee that penned a more heart-wrenching song than “Against All Odds.” We highly doubt that. And while you may think your commercial monkey might have the talent of a Phil Collins, there’s one thing your Cadbury Gorilla will never have and that’s the honour of being named a Knight of the British Empire. Suck on that egg, Cadbury.