Queen vs Bauer & Borsato

A strange coincidence, a fluke or a case of getting a little too inspired? Either way this is an odd couple, Queen vs Dutch singers Bauer & Borsato. Hat tip for these twins goes to adgrunt JLB.

In this commercial for the Queen's greatest hits album, the bandmembers have totally taken over the shop.

In this ad, Marco Borsato is out shopping for music, and finds only Frans Bauers album available.

Borsato asks: "Do you have any other albums apart from Bauers?"
Bauer replies: "No, why?"

Super: Would you also rather have a choice?
VO: Come to BelCompany, all brands, all networks, all choices available.

Borsato turns on his new phone that plays a Bauer tune.

Client: BelCompany
Agency: Leads Communicatie
Creatives: Mike Weinberg, Peter van der Wijk

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Anonymous Adgrunt's picture
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AnonymousCoward's picture

Damn, those lazy bastards! Can anyone tell me something more about the Queen-commercial (agency, creatives, year)? Thanks!

Dabitch's picture

Not sure who did the British one, just know that it's maybe a year or two old while the Borsato/Bauers one is pretty recent - actually I read about that on your site. ;)

kamari's picture

Both of these were pretty bad - the Dutch one even more so though. It could be just a coincidence, seems so much like the very first idea when given the brief.

AnonymousCoward's picture

TV ad for the "Queen's Greatest Video Hits 2" DVD is probably produced somewhere at the end of 2003. I found some tidbits at the official website of Brian May:
http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbnov03a.html

kamari's picture

Nice work detective - now we know which ad was first for sure then. And, in my humble opinion, the better one.

James Trickery's picture

Both of these ads are pretty bad....

AnonymousCoward's picture

Today there's a brief article about this commercial in Adformatie (Dutch magazine about advertising, marketing and media) wherein Bart Maussen (Leads Communication) explains that the commercial was not copied. Both Weinberg and van der Wijk, creatives and responsible for this commercial, never saw the Queen-commercial before.

James Trickery's picture

Sortof like last years Cannes Grand Prix poster winners had never seen a Far Side cartoon? ;) Naah, I can believe that it's just a brainsync since the Queen ad isn't exactly famous, but it's still a funny coincidence.