Another Girl, Another Ad Campaign

[rhythmaning]

A couple of weeks ago, I heard the best song ever.

Well, one of them.

This one was “Another Girl, Another Planet”, by the very wonderful Only Ones. Nearly thirty years old, it is a stormer of a tune, full of energy.

What was odd was that I heard it on the TV. It was just a bit of the instrumental, high power opening, but unmistakeable. I rarely watch commercial tv – and when I do, it is usually through the medium of video, and I skip all the ads. So this Vodafone campaign may have been around for a while. I was a bit shocked though – one of the songs of my teenage years, a song loved by those that love it but rarely heard by anyone else – being used to sell mobile phones? I can only assume they are either going after the middle aged, mid-life crisised demographic; or that they are hoping it will be picked up by the sweet young things they normally try to sell these things to.

Then yesterday, trying to catch the football (which wasn’t on), I saw another Vodafone ad. This one had the same tune – but it was cover version: because this one had vocals, and the backing track was different, too. Same tune, remade? I haven’t heard any covers of it before (a bit surprising, considering it is the best pop song ever); perhaps they made it just for the ad – maybe the thought of a drug-addled fifty year old making it on the back of their corporate activity scared the suits.

It did seem a bit strange though. Maybe this is the cover the “kids” will recognise?