Andrew Boulton's World Cup ad reviews: The Sun does itself proud with keepy-uppy karaoke
The Sun is the newspaper equivalent of a kebab. A lot of the time it’s a pungent, greasy, unappealing slab of reformed semi-meat that you’d happily hurl into the nearest and bubbliest volcano. But, every now and then, you’ll have a guilty a nibble and it’s nothing short of magnificent.
I’m no big fan of the Sun, although its dedication to ratifying Justin Bieber’s status as the planet’s greatest ever bell-end is unquestionably admirable.
What’s even more admirable than journalistically giving Bieber a wedgie with his own overly exposed underwear is its contribution to this year’s collection of World Cup adverts.
Its ‘Do us Proud’ video sees a string of 74 players heading the ball along the line in a live action karaoke version of ‘Never Find Another You’ by The Dexters.
Simple, even stark, in its set up, you quickly realise that this is not only a thoroughly charming way to spend 100 seconds, it’s also a commendable demonstration of collective skill. While the likes of Nike and Pepsi demand their football stars to perform increasingly elaborate individual tricks as if they were computer game characters, the set piece here is made all the more enjoyable by its slightly ragged edges. The ball isn’t always passed down the line as accurately as it needs to be and there are a few moments of anxiety (yes, I got that invested in it) when it looks like it could fall.
What makes it such a success is that, again unlike Nike, it encapsulates a spirit of togetherness and teamwork. The ball isn’t being bicycle-kicked into the net by Cristiano Ronaldo (the Portuguese Bieber); it’s being worked along the line by real fans with a collective goal in mind (ooh, metaphor). And as a little boy on the shoulders of his dad completes the final header the eruption of shared joy and achievement says more about the spirit of the World Cup in England than all of Ronaldo’s greasy brilliance could ever do.
Even the music is appropriately upbeat and hopeful – bearing in mind that musical integrity normally takes a long and much lamented holiday when the first whiff of a World Cup approaches. I’m talking to you Ricky Martin.
I must confess, however, an element of bias in this review. As a lad I headed the ball once in over 200 games. That particular ‘header’ actually struck me in the face and rebounded into my own net. The noticeably malicious nickname ‘Face Ventura’ stuck with me for many years. So undoubtedly a part of my admiration for this advert is the fact that there are 74 people capable of heading a football in roughly the direction they’d like it to go.
But mostly I have to recognise that, for all their flaws, dodgy politics and questionable views on personal privacy, The Sun understands modern football and its fans. You don’t have to like them – frankly, there’s a fair chance they don’t like you – but on a platter of overly elaborate, self-aggrandising, faceless brand fodder, there’s surely room this summer for a little kebab.
Andrew will return with another World Cup ad review tomorrow. Until then, read his reviews of the World Cup efforts from Mars, Nike and Banco de Chile and follow him on Twitter @Boultini