Watch the full ad here:

Lindsey's thoughts:

"Cadbury’s Gorilla aired in 2007 with an enormous crash, much like a drumming gorilla. Overnight, it became the talking point: in the office, the industry, and most importantly, in every home. It was brilliant, ridiculous, hilarious.

People debated endlessly:

What’s this got to do with chocolate? Is it terribly branded or brilliantly? Will anyone even remember it’s for Cadbury? Who on earth approved something this brave? Was the Gorilla real? Was it Phil Collins in the suit?

The chatter was relentless, which was the point. Cadbury’s Gorilla is one of those rare ads that was loved equally by the public and the creative industry when it launched. It still is today.

Fame is effectiveness dynamite, and this campaign is a masterclass. It demonstrates the unique virality of TV: launch a piece of amazing commercial entertainment on TV and it has the reach to spark an explosion of conversation across every other channel, particularly social media: it was a phenomenon on YouTube, amassing over half a million shares in its first week (at the time, unprecedented). It showed how TV powered social conversation.

Why is it so brilliant?

A quirky, off-the-wall idea executed with incredible craft. A phenomenal music choice. Phil Collins wasn’t cool then; the ad changed that. It’s memorable, entertaining, and impossible to forget. It makes you feel good. The joy of watching the ad mirrors the joy of the product itself.

It’s the ultimate demonstration of ad-likeability being one of the most accurate predictors of in-market success. Cadbury’s Gorilla burned itself into cultural memory, topped “favourite ad” focus group responses for years, and won just as many awards for effectiveness as it did for creativity.

It is, simply, one of the greats."