A popular television commercial featuring a gorilla playing drums in time with Phil Collins' hit In the Air Tonight has seen the former Genesis star hit No. 1.

 

The advertisement, for Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate, started screening in New Zealand on June 23. It has had almost 2.5 million plays on video sharing site YouTube.

 

Its popularity has seen In The Air Tonight top iTunes' New Zealand video singles charts, and reach No. 3 on the audio singles chart.

 

The 'Gorilla' is actually actor Garon Michael who played a great ape in the films Congo, Instinct, and Planet of the Apes.

 

The suit was created by Academy Award-winning special effects artists from Stan Winston Studios, who have created suits and monsters for Aliens, Terminator, Predator and Jurassic Park.

 

The ad was so popular in the UK it spawned 70 Facebook groups with more than 50,000 members, as well as catapulting In the Air Tonight back into the UK top 20.

 

In The Air Tonight was first released in 1981, and can be found on Collins' album Face Value.

 

The highest chart position for the song was No. 3, in Germany. It only hit No. 26 in the UK.

 

Source

 

Top 40 Singles

 

1 3 20 In The Air Tonight, Phil Collins

2 2 5 I Kissed A Girl, Katy Perry

3 1 13 Always On My Mind, Tiki Taane

4 5 6 Nesian 101, Nesian Mystik

5 6 5 When I Grow Up, The Pussycat Dolls

6 4 10 Closer, Ne-Yo

7 8 13 Forever, Chris Brown

8 11 6 That's Not My Name, The Ting Tings

9 7 6 Moving Mountains, Usher

10 12 7 Bust It Baby Part 2, Plies Featuring Ne-Yo

 

Complete Chart

 

 

 

The highest chart position for the song was No. 3, in Germany

 

It's untruth, in 1981 it was number one in Austria, Switzerland and Sweden for example.

 

 

 

That Hit 1# and stayed there for 2 weeks.

The power of tv advertising is amazing.