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Featured era: 2007
Cadbury Gorilla
“A glass and a half full of joy.”
- Featured era
- 2007
- Peak era
- 2007-2008
- Company
- Fallon London / Cadbury
- Category
- Viral Videos
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On Video
Cadbury's "Gorilla" advert
Plays from YouTube when you press play. Views, length and date from YouTube, October 2026.
About This Video
- From:
- macegrove
- Added:
- August 31, 2007
- Length:
- 1:31
More Videos4 videos
What Was It?
Gorilla is a 90-second advert for Cadbury Dairy Milk created by the agency Fallon London. In one slow tracking shot across a music studio, a large gorilla sits at a drum kit as Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" plays, then joins in on the song's famous drum fill.
Juan Cabral wrote and directed it, and actor Garon Michael, who had played apes in films such as Congo, wore a suit with an animatronic face. It premiered on British TV on August 31, 2007, during the Big Brother final, and was uploaded to YouTube shortly after.
Viewers argued over whether the gorilla was real and whether Collins himself was the drummer. Collins joked that the gorilla was a better drummer than him and had more hair. The ad won the Film Grand Prix at Cannes Lions and lifted the Cadbury brand after a difficult year.
Things You Probably Forgot
- Debating whether the gorilla was real
- The gorilla's gold tooth
- The remix set to "Total Eclipse of the Heart"
- Airport Trucks racing to "Don't Stop Me Now"
The Story
- 2007 Gorilla premiered on British TV on August 31, during the Big Brother final.
- 2008 It won the Film Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions festival.
- 2008 A new version set to Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" aired on September 5.
Its Legacy
The advert lives on in many copies on YouTube, including this one. It is remembered as one of the most celebrated British adverts of its decade.
Memories
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