The Date

I was reminded of this commercial recently.  It played before films and on television frequently earlier this year.  I haven't seen it for a few weeks or months.  This commercial for Heineken (called The Date) reminds me how thin the line is between art and commerce.  It's like a great, 90 second short film.  Given how many views this clip has on YouTube, many other people must agree.

In the interest of full disclosure, I do not have any financial interest in Heineken nor am I promoting Heineken or alcohol consumption by linking to this commercial.  Besides, I am a Guinness Stout man

The segment reminds of Ray Liotta and Lorraine Bracco walking through the nightclub in Goodfellas.  The ad has this whole 1960s HK or Macau feel with the music and wardrobe.  And the band!  That crazy lead singer and the drummer lays down a beat that's primal.  There is a bit of Bruce Lee/Kill Bill behind the screen as well.

They also got the whole white guy/Asian girl thing going on.  And a magician.  Plus the stern faced waiters.  There is more going on in 90 seconds than some films have in 90 minutes.



If that is not enough, Heineken made a 3.5 minute mocumentary called The Legendary Makng of The Date which is nearly as entertaining as the subject material.



If you are wondering about the song from the commercial, it is a Hindi  number called "Jaan Pahechan Ho" by Mohammed Rafi.  That song was featured in a Bollywood film called Gumnaam (1965).  The original number looks as hip and swinging as The Date.



There is a guitar riff starting at the 44 second mark of this video.  It sounds like a riff from The Zombies' "She's Not There" which came out the year before this film. 

For more information on The Date, visit the Heineken site devoted to the ad.  That's a real band in the commercial too.  I think they are lip synching in the commercial but on the Heineken website they perform.  The band is called Kiss and the Serenades.