In 2001, former Creation Records boss Alan McGee had the genius idea of ‘introducing Swedish garage rock band The Hives to a British audience by cherry picking the best songs from their two albums on Burning Heart Records – 1997’s Barely Legal and 2000’s Veni Vidi Vicious, plus 1998’s A.K.A. I-D-I-O-T EP – and licensing them for release on what was essentially an early ‘greatest hits’ record, Your New Favourite Band, on his new record label Poptones.
That same year much-hyped New Yorkers The Strokes released their debut album Is This It, and Detroit’ss The White Stripes released their breakthrough album White Blood Cells. Deciding that this constituted a ‘movement’ despite the fact that the three bands had no connection whatsoever, Britain’s cultural gatekeepers then declared that ROCK IS BACK! and elevated all three acts into the spotlight.
“At the time, getting popular in the UK could happen overnight,” recalled The Hives’ frontman Pelle Almqvist, “which didn’t really happen anywhere else – in the US you’ve got to tour for four years before anyone even hears you. It was fun to have that happen. Becoming famous overnight was like old-school Frank Sinatra, New York New York, it was awesome! You go on television and everyone sees you.”
In a measure of The Hives new-found popularity, their 2001 single Main Offender, which had failed to trouble chart compilers anywhere in the world when released to promote Veni Vidi Vicious, was then chosen to soundtrack a new cinema advert from up-market lingerie company Agent Provocateur, featuring Australian actress and pop star Kylie Minogue. At the time, thanks to the ubiquity of her UK number one singles Spinning Around and Can’t Get You Out Of My Head (a chart topper in no fewer than 40 countries worldwide), Minogue might well have been the most popular celebrity in Britain, and through their association with her, The Hives would acquire a whole new audience.
The advert in question, titled Proof, opened with Minogue, dressed in the pink shop-coat uniform worn by all Agent Provocateur store staff, asserting that the company made “the most erotic lingerie in the world”, adding, “And with your help, we can prove it.”
Minogue then removes her dress to display her Agent Provocateur lingerie and proceeds to mount a red velvet-encased mechanised rodeo bull. This ‘bucking bronco’ is then switched on by a posh-looking older lady seated to the right of the frame, and Minogue, true professional that she is, gamely goes along for the ride.
When the machine is switched off, the singer looks into the camera lens and says, “And now for the proof.” Dismounting the contraption, she then walks towards the camera, crouches down, and asks, “Would all the men in the audience stand up?” There’s seven seconds of silence while Minogue pretends to check out her imaginary audience, and then says, “No? At which point the bull-manipulating upper class lady looks up from her vintage paperback copy of ‘romance novel’ Take Me! and cackles, “Didn’t think you’d be able to!”
And cut.
Ever keen to whip up outrage among the nation’s pearl-clutching masses, the UK tabloid newspapers duly reported that the advert had been banned from British TV, even though it wasn’t shot for television, meaning that Agent Provocateur got a shit load of free publicity, and The Hives were subsequently ‘discovered’ by a ton of people using the Shazam app.
Win-win.
In 2009, the Proof advert topped a poll conducted by Digital Cinema Media to find the public’s favourite cinema ad, beating iconic ads for Guinness, Bacardi, Carling Black Label, and some products that aren’t alcohol.
“Cinema is about engaging and entertaining the audience,” commented Fleur Castell, marketing and research controller at Digital Cinema Media, “and this ad pulls off both elements perfectly in a fun and cheeky way.”
More importantly, the ad also paved the way for The Hives and Kylie Minogue to hang out.
“We met her while filming Top of the Pops and at the MTV Awards, and she seemed lovely,” Pelle Almqvist confirmed.
We await future collaborations with bated breath.