- Brand - Heathrow Airport
- Spot - Coming Home For Christmas
- Music Title - I’m Going Back
- Artist - Chas & Dave
- Master Rights - Demon Music Group
- Composer - Hodges, Peacock
- Publisher - Kobalt Music
- Music Supervisor - Lisa McCaffery & Oliver Jay @ Curved Arrow
- Ad Agency - Havas London
- Creative - Ben Mooge, Daniel Bolton, Barnaby Packham
- Film Co - Outsider
- Director - Dom & Nic
- Post Production - The Mill
- Air Date - 14/11/16
Not only have Heathrow Airport’s two elderly teddy bears proved the surprise hit of the Xmas season but they have helped revive the fortunes of British pop’s favourite pensioners, Chas & Dave.
The pair were already into the third decade of their career when they included I’m Going Back on the 1984 album Well Pleased.
The song is a prime example of their characteristic ‘rockney’ style which mixes roots rock’n’roll with unashamedly English vocals inspired by the music hall traditions of their native North London.
“The agency were looking for a track which would emphasise the joy and magic of coming back to the UK for Christmas,” says Oliver Jay, music supervisor at Curved Arrow, one of two companies briefed on the project.
“Obviously the lyrical content was important and they were also fairly open about genre and era. But what Havas really wanted was a UK artist with a distinctly British rather than American sound.”
“I’m Going Back was our favourite from the moment Kobalt Music’s Michelle Stoddart sent it through. It had to go through many levels of approval but it became the clients’ approved choice because of the way it fitted the bear’s characters.”
Master rights to Chas & Dave’s catalogue are now controlled by Demon Music Group whose Glen D’Souza reports is collaborating with the Heathrow campaign by releasing I’m Coming Back as a digital single and promoting it to radio. Meanwhile the artists themselves, now both in their 70s, have just embarked on a nationwide Christmas tour.
