Sean Paul predicts ‘more synergies’ between dancehall and global brands
Artiste adds flavour, right ‘Temperature’ to Burger King ad
Published:Friday | September 13, 2024 | 12:07 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
Dancehall megastar, Sean Paul, can be counted on to bring on the heat, and effectively disturb the diabolical chants of the naysayers who keep falsely predicting the demise of dancehall.
Nearly 20 years after his megahit Temperature was released, fast food giant, Burger King, chose the song to add the right flavour to the launch of their new product, Frozen Pink Lemonade. Released as the second US single in December 2005, the song commanded the No. 1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2006 to become Sean Paul’s third US No. 1 single.
The ad, described by Burger King as a ‘short film’ and featuring Sean Paul alongside French dancers and choreographers Les Twins, premièred on Wednesday.
A release from the company prior to the launch stated that “Burger King and MTV have also teamed up to create a captivating 75-second short film inspired by the refreshing and invigorating qualities of the new drink that make it a perfect complement to the high-energy atmosphere of the VMAs. Produced by Paramount Brand Studio and featuring multi-platinum Grammy award-winning dancehall superstar, Sean Paul, and the world renowned artistes, Les Twins the short film will première during the live broadcast of the VMAs on Wednesday, September 11.”
Sean Paul, in a brief interview with The Gleaner, shared how that scenario came to life and predicted that this synergy between dancehall acts and international brands will be replicated countless times in the future.
“Basically they called management and management sent a proposal and they went over it with me … and there were several things I was checking out. And it just seemed like a good opportunity for me and more visibility for me. I’m very happy they chose my song,” Sean Paul said.
He added, “It is awesome that dancehall artistes are able to create these synergies. There will be more as dancehall artistes are becoming more and more global and start to garner huge crowds internationally. These types of synergies, not just for me but for others will happen more.”
Ronnie Tomlinson, owner of Destine Media and publicist for Sean Paul, pointed out that “collaborating with a major brand like Burger King on a new product can be beneficial for dancehall music in several ways”.
“As Sean Paul continues to break new grounds in dancehall with this collaboration with Burger King, we must also look at what this does for the dancehall genre. Partnering with major brand like Burger King can help bring dancehall music into mainstream consciousness, open up new opportunities for exposure and growth, showcase the diversity and creativity of the genre to a wider audience and result in additional revenue streams and overall support for dancehall music,” Tomlinson told The Gleaner.
The short film opens with someone walking out of an apartment building and heading towards the fire hydrant to pull it. That has become a feature in some parts of New York during the summer as a way to cool down, however, this time, it’s not water flowing from the hydrant, but pink lemonade. Le Twins pop up, sweating, look up on a billboard advertising Frozen Pink Lemonade and immediately find the nearest Burger King store. They sit to cool down with their Frozen Pink Lemonade and the action starts with them dancing as Sean Paul is seen on top of a building bringing next level dancehall energy and vibe in front of a video board with dancers, and a column of speaker boxes stacked behind him.
It cuts to a festive dancehall scene over which Sean Paul is heard “ make I see the gal them bruk out pon the floor/From you don’t want no worthless performer/From you don’t want no man wey can’t turn you on gal/Make I see your hand them up on ya/Can’t tan pon it long, naw eat no yam, no steam fish, nor no green banana/But down in Jamaica we give it to you hot like a sauna.”
Dario Spina, chief marketing officer, Paramount Brand Studio, shared, “We are always looking to drive cultural moments in the VMAs for our partners by creating seamless extensions to this tentpole experience. Burger King has been an incredible, long-standing partner in achieving that goal year after year and we can’t wait for fans to experience all we have in store during one of music’s biggest nights.”
Sean Paul posted the video on social media noting that “next level settings loading”. He has been receiving kudos from peers and fans alike.