It seems I am always the dissident one. But last year the ad Staying on Yas - which you guessed it was a reprise of the Bee Gees Staying Alive (with different lyrics) - was, to put it mildly, not it for me. You can see the ad here. I loved the first few seconds that mimic the original clip - three men walking in 70s clothes... Then of course, with all the other stuff that people can do on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi the video lost its plot (and its raison d'etre as a duplication of the original song).
Somewhere in the middle there is a shopping scene on what seems to be a wink to the original film's Tony Manero (the checkered floor was a hint to the one that he dances on at the club). But otherwise, it was not it as there were too many things to list and portray (and truth be told apart from the chorus "Staying on Yas" the rest of the lyrics simply do not register for you).
But hey, seems the ad worked because Yas Island is back at it with - Yas Yas Baby - a riff on (you guessed it again) Vanilla Ice "Ice Ice Baby". Watch the ad here. The ad, like last year's is exceptionally well-produced. And even if the lyrics pop on your screen you cannot but help go back to the original hit in your own mind.
Here's the thing - the two ads are actually nice. Really, visually they are very arresting. I just can't see the duplication of very well-known hits as something that would stick because you'll always go back to the lyrics you know (while humming along the ad).
Also, side hint, to which audience these ads are going for? I know this seems a little ridiculous but many youngsters - to which several of the depicted activities are targeted - simply do not know Staying Alive or Ice Ice Baby. Don't believe me? Look here.