The world is full of weird commercials that capture people’s attention, but this ’70s-era Dole banana ad is one of the strangest. In addition to being one of the few commercials to feature a Pink Floyd track, the fruit ad also features some truly trippy visuals.
The Racy Banana Ad That Featured Pink Floyd
In 1974, the Dole Fruit Company approached Pink Floyd about possibly using one of their songs in a banana commercial—specifically, the 1973 track “The Great Gig in the Sky.” The band had previously stated they would only let their music be used for commercials promoting a good cause, but Pink Floyd said yes to the Dole banana commercial.
The commercial is noteworthy for being one of the few ads to feature a Pink Floyd song, but most people remember it for the racy visuals. The commercial shows a woman in a slinky evening gown strutting around a set, with the camera panning slowly up the leg bared by the thigh-high slit in her dress.
She then peels the banana slowly, takes a bite, and starts smiling and spinning around with a huge smile on her face. The ad ends with text that reads, “If you feel it, peel it.” The sexy video clips and the psychedelic music and lighting make the Dole commercial particularly memorable.
Why The Band Stopped Doing Commercials
The Dole ad wasn’t the first time Pink Floyd partnered with a company. In 1974—the same year Dole released the banana ad—the group was approached by Gini, a French soft drink company.
Pink Floyd said yes, in an effort to drive down ticket prices for their fans; if they made enough money on the ad campaign, they wouldn’t need to charge as much for tickets. The band appeared in some print ads and Gini drinks were promoted at their concert venues, but Pink Floyd ultimately felt the money wasn’t worth selling out.
The unease about the brand partnership even inspired a song, the unreleased “Bitter Love,” also known as “How Do You Feel.” Besides these two ’70s ads, Pink Floyd has only let their music be used in two other commercials: an ad for headache-relief medicine Nurofen and Volkswagen commercials promoting the VW Golf.
Most people assume that Pink Floyd was uncomfortable with the commercial aspect of partnering with brands, promoting products to their fans and being in ads. However, after seeing that Dole commercial, maybe the band was just too weirded out to agree to any more!
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