TANGO | BARREL | 2003
The Fruit-Crushing Scientists Return / TANGO "BARREL"
In 2003, the British fizzy drink brand TANGO came back with that legendary slogan. "You Know When You've Been Tango'd" — the catchphrase that stirred controversy in the '90s but made its mark on advertising history was revived with a new agency.
The problem
In 2002, TANGO's advertising business moved from HHCL, which had handled it for over ten years, to Clemmow Hornby Inge. From 2002 to 2005, a new series of ads was made showing scientists carrying out unnecessary stunts.
The idea
In this series, scientists went to extreme lengths just to crush a piece of fruit. BARREL was one of these spots, using an over-the-top visual to express TANGO's "fruit impact."
What happened
BARREL, together with "Postman" and "Barrel Miss," won a Silver Pencil as a campaign at The One Show in 2004.
Afterthought
I couldn't find detailed background on the making of the ad or interviews with the creatives, but there's no doubt that TANGO as a brand has always been willing to push things to the extreme. From the violent "Orange Man" of the '90s to the scientist series of the 2000s, the form changed but the brand's irreverent spirit stayed consistent. BARREL, as part of that lineage, surely gave young viewers of the time quite a jolt.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2003
