With the decline of traditional television, we lost many things: the sweltering summers watching a show with scantily clad boys and girls, the late-night debates, the cartoons during lunchtime, and, of course, the music commercials. From Cola-Cao to Carmen Sevilla singing for Philips “Yo veo las corridas en traje de baño” (“I see the bullfights in a swimsuit”) , advertisers’ creativity has always reached impossible limits. And as evidence, here are eight music commercials that marked an era and will stay rent-free in your head. You’re welcome.
8-ONCE and its summer songs (2003)
To announce that 14 million euros were being distributed in the summer draw, the advertisers from the Tándem agency did something unacceptable in a world of uptight people: they went out to sing summer songs in the cheesiest way possible. If you remember “Yo te doy cremita, tú me das cremita” (“I give you sunscreen, you give me sunscreen”), “Me pica la pierna, me pica el ombligo” (“My leg itches, my belly button itches”), and “¿Que qué es lo que tengo? Que tengo de tó” (“What do I have? I have it all”), your early 21st century was happier. The following year, they tried to emulate the success again (they even released an album), but they were no longer funny. A little goes a long way…
7-Bocatta and its controversy on the field (2003)
“One of the most bitter controversies in the history of advertising is found in this hilarious Bocatta campaign that was withdrawn after several farmers’ associations complained that Sra. Rushmore was mocking them with phrases like “Sabañones y callos, labrando bajo el día el sol”(‘Chilblains and calluses, toiling under the sun all day’) and insinuating that everything harvested from the fields would only lead to arriving home twisted with back pain. At least they were able to continue using the catchy tune as a base for future years, though.”
6-Calvo and Hu-ha! (2007)
Fifteen years after Chimo Bayo ruled the Ruta del Bacalao (Cod Route), Calvo turned him into the king of tuna. There wasn’t a child in Spain who didn’t drop everything to sing, almost tribal-like, “Sacatúnn que pen que summum que tun,” (“Sacatúnn, what a pain, what a summit, what a tune.”) which also became the most bizarre slogan possible. Chimo Bayo was never so celebrated again until the release of ‘La ruta’.
5-Trina and Ramón García (2009)
The Trina commercials were a masterpiece from start to finish. Under the guise of “being natural,” they began singing about the most cringe-worthy moments, like doing the polar bear with straws or being a fan of Ramón García. A year earlier, they had already been the best on television with phrases like No estás sola, yo me tatué a Iván Campo” (“You’re not alone, I got a tattoo of Iván Campo,”) Yo voté a Finlandia en televisión” (“I voted for Finland on TV,”) or “Yo salí voluntario a que me hipnotizarán” (“I volunteered to be hypnotized.”) A true masterpiece.
4-MTV and ‘Amo a Laura’ (2006)
MTV made its debut in Spain and entrusted the advertising campaign to the pioneer of Spanish pop bubblegum, Guille Milkyway, who had already released two fabulous albums with La Casa Azul, where he also hid behind a fictional band, which he virtually killed off with the release of ‘La revolución sexual’. The result was an impressive hit that many still believe to this day was real: The Happiness sang about chastity and became so successful that the following year they tried to repeat the feat with their sequel, ‘El honor de Laura’. It’s a great song, but it came too late.
3-Fanta and A Tomar Fanta (2012)
For two consecutive years, “A tomar Fanta” became a regular presence on television. First, with a chorus of children singing about the worst situations in the world, which perhaps haven’t aged as well “A la que te quiere solo como amigo y al que cuenta su vida por Tuenti” (“To the one who only sees you as a friend and to the one who shares their life on Tuenti”). Then, with rockstar cats. They gave it their all in such a way that they even started one of the first creative campaigns with influencers when Zorman was a hit. It was just ten years ago, you know. How time flies.
2-Coca-Cola and musicals (2003)
If every time you’ve been called to the director’s office at work you haven’t hummed “Veo una vida nueva y tú no estás en ella” (I see a new life and you’re not in it), then you’re not one of us. Three versions in just one minute ranging from opera to rap, passing through the hippy style. Years later, they would come back with ‘Del pita pita del’, which marked another milestone in our country. There’s nothing like a good song to make people remember you.
1-Pikolin and Nacho Vigalondo (2011)
After being nominated for an Oscar for ‘7:35 in the Morning,’ it was clear that Nacho Vigalondo had a future in composing songs. The same year he released ‘Extraterrestrial,’ he made a short film for Pikolin, a single-shot masterpiece that lasted two and a half minutes. In it, he went through, one by one, all the horrible things that can prevent you from sleeping, from that lover of power tools to the fifth-floor washer-dryer. I still don’t know how one can have so much creativity. Pure glory.
Left behind are ‘Los animales de dos en dos’,’La Española, una aceituna como ninguna’, ‘Somos los Conguitos y estamos requetebien’, ‘Con poco me lo monto’, ‘Y una maratón’… We have already proven that we can be dull in advertising. Can we start being cool again soon, please?
Some of the links added in the article are part of affiliate campaigns and may represent benefits for Softonic.
