Gorilla and the Chocolate Factory

The sequel to Cadbury's Gorilla spot launched today. Trucks is another slice of surreal madness, with a truly awesome soundtrack choice, that's delightful [although it could use a better denouement] and will trigger innumerable arguments as to whether it's as good as the original.

[Sidebar - can a sequel ever be better than the original? Most film geeks would say no, with a couple of contentious exceptions, but in the context of FallonJuan's advertisements the originals set up the conceit, establish a new new thing, so can the follow up ever be as impactful? If this came before Gorilla, would it have been as discussed and popular? Is there anyway to parse this without reference to that which came before?]

The film launches alongside the launch of Glass and a Half Full Productions website and it's just grand.

The lovely people at digital shop HyperHappen have incorporated a bunch of features that capitalise on many of things TIGS is obsessed with.

The interface is an intuitive 3D chocolate factory that hosts the Gorilla; the studio it was filmed in; some of the top Gorilla remixes; a teaser of a build-your-own truck application; an ARG-lite that opens up a password protected vault that holds downloadable clips of Trucks for easy recombinance; and a few films that show the provence of Dairy Milk and its fairly traded supply chain.

Go have a look around.

Comments

[Allan]

Thanks for the screenshot - got me right into the Vault :P

[Amelia]

I found Trucks to be dull, un-engaging and utterly lacking compared to the humour and happiness of Gorilla. Campaign Magazine awarded Gorilla "Campaign of The Year." I felt at the time and feel even more so now, that it was the best ad of 2007 but not a campaign. If the comms thought that is meant to be holding both ads together is Joy, I think Trucks failed to deliver.
Just one girl's opinion, but I don't think it will generate anything like the real interest and engagement of Gorilla.
http://tinyurl.com/2jkutr

[Faris]

Allan - oops ;)

Meals! I dig you - and agree that Gorilla was an ad - although its recombinant iterations extended that ad into a longer term thing.

Now - Trucks - I'm not sure the film is a joyous as Gorilla - but as I said I find it hard to parse it without comparing it, which makes the judgement difficult to me - although it could use a better conclusion. That said - the music alone brings me some joy.

And, perhaps the film doesn't really matter in the grander scheme of the Production campaign - as one output from the studio (and this is a hit business;)) but my point is that the studio website is great - they tick so many boxes - and it provides a foundation for them to keep doing interesting things...whether or not Trucks has the same impact.

[DanC]

Can I be the first to make the joke about 'trucks' being filmed at Terminal 5? Running over the luggage and all that?

I thank you.

[niko]

I loved it.

Every shot was like out of an Jerry Bruckheimer Don Simpson movie. Some shots like the doors sliding open are classic top gun. That top gun flash back was the link for me to the 80's classic of phil collins used in the gorilla.

plus those connections playes nicely into the glass and a half full pay off.

Go Maverick!

[Xiaochang]

It's great looking, but it really didn't do it for me, in part because the pacing is kind of demented. I also found the insert shots of human driver hands really jarring, because all of the expression and focus is in the cars, but then we're being reminded that they're just tricked-out machines being driven by faceless hands and any joy that might have been there gets kind of diffused between the two. And there's a bit in the middle where it feels like that little orange car is going to be the protagonist (we seem to be getting interior POV shots from inside of it), but then we just pull out and it's not anymore and the whole thing just feels like a muddled and indecisive and unnecessarily complex. Watching it in academic mode, it seems problematic. Watching it in regular viewer mode, it's kind of underwhelming.

[Faris]

Hey Xiaochang - agree with your points - it has the semblance of narrative, with the little orange car, but then it doesn't complete it. I really don't get why they didn't finish it, so to speak.

And yeah the hands do make it confusing - it feels like it wants to be both Top Gun and Cars at the same time.

but I love the soundtrack.

And the website rocks. ;)

its fun and very cool that cadbury's are supporting a progressive approach to shmadvertising.

I think the only issue for me is that its' not that great an experience on youtube - and these days that's as (maybe more)important as the turbo widescreen, cinema experience. the drumming gorilla looks wicked large or small screen, big sound or no sound. Trucks doesn't quite do it for me a la youtube.

[Karl Turley]

I have to say the first time that I saw the ad I was a little under whelmed, the connection with the Gorilla is there but for me it is just to subtle and there is not the huge smile factor, it is a mild amusement. One thing you can say though is that it still gets peoples attention, I haven’t been in a room yet without someone passing comment, positive or negative. It has cut through, backed with the strong glass and a half full of joy idea, it will be interesting to see how the sales figures compare.