The Perfect Day

This ad ran in 1997. I remember my then creative director sticking his head into my room, a DVD in hand, saying "You have to hear this." It was the disc that came with the latest D&AD Annual, and my PC was the only one with the software to play it (yes, yes, so very last century).

I loved it then for the fusion element—it brings together such an amazing range of musicians—and its simple brilliance as an ad; it's entertaining, and it delivers its message ("Whatever your musical taste, it is catered to by BBC Radio and Television") in no uncertain terms. Of course, the length (it's a full four minutes) wasn't a problem since the advertiser was running it on its own media. Heh.

The complete story from the YouTube page:

In 1997, the song "Perfect Day" by Lou Reed was featured by the BBC in a lengthy corporate advertisement of its own music coverage. The trailer was shown on BBC channels and in cinemas and won both awards and praise from commentators. This version was eventually released as a charity single in November of that year for Children In Need. The charity version features a host of well-known singers and performers, with Reed himself opening and closing the song, and was the UK's number one single for two weeks, selling over a million copies.

Right then. Here's your homework. Name all the singers and musicians.




Bonus videos

Lou Reed singing Perfect Day


Lou Reed singing Perfect Day with Luciano Pavarotti