The memorable (some might say cringeworthy) Halifax financial services advert using the rapper’s 1989 track Ice, Ice baby is today followed by the launch of a water company spoof played to the same tune.
Stockport’s Acrobat Television in partnership with Manchester PR agency Judge & Howard have come up with the video, which inludes women dressed as elves and a Santa in a baseball cap, for water company United Utilities.
United Utilities’ head of customer experience Sally Ainsworth said there was a serious message behind the spoof:
“With the average repair bill for a frozen or burst household pipe totalling more than £500, it’s a cost that few households can afford this winter. Thankfully, it’s really easy for our customers to protect their pipes. The video delivers some practical winter advice, while hopefully raising a smile in the run up to Christmas.”
The company hopes its novelty video will become an online hit, helping to promote the winter messages as part of its Winter Wise campaign.
‘Ice Ice Baby’ has become something of a classic for remixes across everything from Zumba lessons to the Forces in Iraq and there are currently more than 2 million items within youTube which have a connection to the track.
The original ‘Ice Ice Baby’ was released as the B-side to Vanilla Ice’s cover of “Play That Funky Music”, but the single was not initially successful. When a disc jockey played “Ice Ice Baby” instead, it began to gain success and “Ice Ice Baby” was the first hip hop single to top the Billboardcharts.
