In 1976, French fizzy water manufacturer Perrier caused a scandal with a suggestive TV advert in which a caressing hand makes a small bottle grow until it pops. The commercial (which was directed by Serge Gainsbourg) was promptly forbidden and never saw the light again. Until now. Perrier has remastered the old film and shows it again on TV.
Is it still as shocking as it was 33 years ago? Judge for yourself:
It’s very funny. But honestly I’ve known old Gainsbourg to be a little bit more subtle than this. Are you certain he directed it? Would he have accepted such a lousy soundtrack?
I’m just quoting…
la fameuse pub Perrier très suggestive et interdite à l’époque !
Réalisée par Serge Gainsbourg
I have a hunch they may be trying to hitch a ride on Serge’s reputation. My reasons?:
1. I was a teenager in ’76 (in Toulouse), and a big fan of Gainsbourg. At that time, he was definitely not yet mainstream. A major brand like Perrier would think twice before associating itself with the guy who was infuriating most french over 40, plus the army, by making a Reggae-Marseillaise (aux armes etc)
2. Perrier or their ad agency would never dream of actually spending money on shooting an ad which was so obviously unbroadcastable on state TV (no commercial broadcasters then). Think: if my mom (a Perrier drinker) had seen her children exposed to this, she would never ever buy another bottle! (and our grocer would refuse to stock the stuff!)
3. Gainsbourg liked to take his audience into a shared joke when it came to sex (Les sucettes á l’anis for instance). He was a man of the metaphor. This is crude and straightforward.
4. G. would have been creative enough to write a catchy melody for the ad.
I suspect it’s an attempt to go viral with a phony archive “banned” ad using a famous name and a bit of sex.
What do you think?
What is shocking me is the ugliness of the hand!