Pepsi Pinball Ad Uses Music From Song About Giving Head

pepsi_pinball.jpg

Shannon Stephaniuk from Glossy Inc. did some sleuthing for us about the music in the new Pepsi Pinball commercial. We really like commercial during which a guy takes a wild ride on the ball through the streets of San Francisco. We also really like how the snickering creatives behind this ad, as Shannon's research indicates, seemingly slipped past the client the fact the original lyrics of the version of the song used in this ad, 1977's Jet Boy Jet Girl, are about one guy giving head to another.

Perhaps all those hipster marketers over at Pepsi are too young to remember seventies punk. Perhaps they actually know what they're doing trying to connect with in-the-know hipsters all while slipping it under the radar of Pepsi's culturally disconnected top management. Perhaps neither the agency nor the client has a clue regarding this song's origin. Perhaps, as one commenter points out, it's because the song is not really the song but a version of the song sung by another guy in another band that used to be in the original band. Confused? We are too. No matter what, we just think it's pretty funny.

Written by Steve Hall    Comments (21)     File: Brands, Strange     Feb-18-07  
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Comments

Actually, the song used in the commercial is Ca Plane Pour Moi by a Belgian band called Plastic Bertrand. It uses the same backing track as the Elon Motello song Jet Boy Jet Girl - in fact, the story is that the guy from Plastic Bertrand was in Motello's band.

Ca Plane basically translates to "it's fine with me", or 'whatever.' I doubt highly that the legal department at Pepsi would go for the original lyrics.

Posted by: juniormint on February 19, 2007 09:51 AM

See. There's always more to the story:-)

Posted by: Steve Hall on February 19, 2007 10:24 AM

The song used in the Pinball commercial is actually The Presidents of the United States of America’s version of Plastic Plastic Bertand's Ca Plane Pur Moi (the latter version featured the musicians from the 1977 Jet Boy, Jet Girl by Elton Motello). Every time I see the commercial, the words from the original Jet Boy, Jet Girl go through my head. Makes the spot a bit more entertaining as the guy is riding a ball. The Jet Boy, Jet Girl lyrics are posted here: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/damned/jet+boy+jet+girl_20035693.html

Posted by: Shannon on February 19, 2007 10:34 AM

Funny, just last week, I just heard the Plastic Bertrand verision Ca Plan Pour Moi in a TVC for the Renault Grand Scenic in Europe. Must be a popular sentiment.

Posted by: pinsanneedles on February 19, 2007 12:55 PM

Wow, gimme a snickers and a pepsi any time dudes

Posted by: Dave on February 19, 2007 01:47 PM

I'm pretty sure the new Wendy's commerials use a song about masturbating...

Posted by: The Zakk on February 20, 2007 04:35 AM

I'm pretty sure the new Wendy's commerials use a song about masturbating...

Posted by: The Zakk on February 20, 2007 04:35 AM

yup. wendy's is using "blister in the sun" for radio and tv. although Violent Femmes lead Gordon Ganno claims it's just about a crush he had on a girl. Either way, it's an odd song to pair with burgers.

Posted by: Doctor on February 20, 2007 01:52 PM

They lie and steal ideas I created More Happy and
Dew U and also Go Pro and was ripped off.
Pepsi is going bankrupt! and the world can help
by buying something else like a vacation!
DO not buy the product that steals ideas and sells
oral sex to our kids.
Pepsi sucks!
Hey Steven see ya in the poor house.
YOur all time buddy.
Matthew
what a loser you are and your company!

Creator of the ads and slogans..

Posted by: Matthew Mark@ on March 5, 2007 11:35 PM

so who gives a dang wat the song is about it is koolism and totally rad!:)ca plane pour moi!!!!
off the shiznet......hey by chance does anyone know where i could find the lyrics????

Posted by: Rawrz! on March 7, 2007 07:22 PM

I personally love this song and looked into it and did a bit of reasearch and this what i came up with:
The song in the pepsi commerical is not the song Jet Boy Jet Girl as has been astablished. But a song called Ca Plane Pour Moi by The Presidents of the United States of America. They bought the rights to the background music and the song from the owner. And the song well from what i could translate was actually odd. its starts: How are you? One two three four Yam bam. my cat, splash, got on my bad, it puffs out its language by drinking my whiskey as for me a little sleep, empty then a bunch of it which i cant translate then it goes: one morning one darling came to me with chinese food ( i think it says cellophane noodles) and an adhesive plaster hang over and said to me you are the king of the people she says to me while passing oh oh oh oh I am the king of the people .


That's all i could translate weird lyrics. Maybe someone else has some in put.

SO in the end its not stolen, its a new song, its not about sex there you have it. Your research and bashing the pepsi executives not so on key. (:

Posted by: Rae on March 24, 2007 10:38 PM

hey im new to the whole "gettng your music on T.V" thing


anyone got any tips or advice

I was thinking about like putting my music like in the background for like a modern car commercial


check out my music and gimme some feed back

till then,

Love Peace and Chicken Grease


-Nic Bomz

Posted by: NIC BOMZ on April 3, 2007 09:05 PM

hey im new to the whole "gettng your music on T.V" thing


anyone got any tips or advice

I was thinking about like putting my music like in the background for like a modern car commercial


check out my music and gimme some feed back

till then,

Love Peace and Chicken Grease


-Nic Bomz

Posted by: NIC BOMZ on April 3, 2007 09:05 PM

hey im new to the whole "gettng your music on T.V" thing


anyone got any tips or advice

I was thinking about like putting my music like in the background for like a modern car commercial


check out my music and gimme some feed back

till then,

Love Peace and Chicken Grease


-Nic Bomz

Posted by: NIC BOMZ on April 3, 2007 09:07 PM

Go to Hank Music.
http://www.hankmusic.tv/portal/pages/common/privacy.html

Posted by: Lucy on April 3, 2007 09:10 PM

Pepsi sucks!

Posted by: Matthew on April 11, 2007 05:30 PM

Sonic Youth's cover of "Ca Plane Pour Moi" which came out in the early 90s is a much better cover than the PotUSA's.

When the SY came out, the word was that "ca plane pour moi" is a french idiom for blow job. No idea if this is true or not...

Posted by: sonic one on April 24, 2007 09:10 PM

Uh, if you want the lyrics, type 'ca plane pour moi' in Google and you will find links to the lyrics. The reference to 'langue' is to the cat's tongue, not language. Same word, meaning depending on the context.

IMO, the original Platic Bertrand version is better than either the Sonic Youth version or the POTUSA version, althought it was a blast hearing it on the commercial, whatever the version.

The main descriptions I've heard of the meaning are as described earlier - I'm ok or whatever. There may be the implication he's high too. See http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=127962

Posted by: Mr Eeks on May 14, 2007 01:21 AM

I dont think it really matters what song it is or not.
if you know the jet boy jet girl so its ganan run through your head while watching the video and will think surely dirty things.
go figure

Posted by: plague on June 19, 2007 04:02 PM

I dont think it really matters what song it is or not.
if you know the jet boy jet girl so its ganan run through your head while watching the video and will think surely dirty things.
go figure

Posted by: plague on June 19, 2007 04:03 PM

Who cares what it says or doesn't say, the point is it is going to trigger memories to a person my age (I'm 42) give or take.
I hear it and I remember the French original, and the Damned's cover.
Don't sell Pepsi short; they know precisely what they're doing. A corporation as large as they are wouldn't be so stupid they'd put a song that originated from a song about one guy giving head to another guy on their advertisement.

Posted by: Reivaxzerai on July 6, 2007 09:43 PM

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