What could be more British than the Coronation and a cup of tea?
Now PG Tips, the much loved British tea brand, is celebrating the Coronation with a new stirring rendition of the National Anthem, made entirely with the sounds of making a cuppa, thanks to its agency Smoking Gun.
PG Tips has worked with music producer Tarek Musa for a fresh take on the national anthem to lift the nation with the dawn of a new monarch on the throne - as Brits get used to singing God Save the King.
Tarek, an award-winning music producer who has toured extensively across the globe, supporting the Kaiser Chiefs, performing on Jools Holland and much more with his former band Spring King, recorded a range of sounds such as a kettle boiling, the box of PG Tips opening, the tinkling of the teaspoon, hot water being poured and sipping a cuppa to mix for the track fit for Royal-tea.
Tarek said “You can find inspiration in the most everyday of sounds so when PG Tips approached me for this new take on God Save the King, I jumped at the chance.
“It was a fun challenge, to rethink the sounds of making a cuppa in a musical way. I found myself obsessing over the whistling of the kettle, recording it and pitching it to match the notes in the melody of God Save the King. Once the main melody was in place, it was important to represent the triumphant crescendos in the music, using a climax of boiling kettles, tinkling of spoons, sounds of water pouring into the mug and the splash of the milk. Experimenting with how we capture and use audio has always excited me, and working with PG Tips on this was an absolute pleasure. Of course, the refreshing taste of PG Tips sustained me throughout the making of the track.”
Giulia Arena from PG Tips said; “Tea will be refreshing the whole nation during the long Coronation weekend and we wanted to create something memorable to celebrate that. PG Tips is the trusted heart of British tea with millions of people enjoying a refreshing cup of smooth, full-bodied and delicious tea every day. What could be more fitting than to use sounds of the ritual of making a cup of PG Tips to make a music track for such a monumental occasion?”
Rick Guttridge, Smoking Gun MD, added: “What better way to celebrate such an historic moment with an iconic brand?! Many great cups of royally refreshing tea were enjoyed in the making of this fabulous campaign.”
This year, PG Tips is also sponsoring the Coronation Big Lunch from 6th - 8th May to bring neighbours and communities together to share friendship, food and party playlists ….plus plenty of tea.
You can listen to the new music track here and watch the making of video here
How Tarek and PG Tips made ‘Tea National Anthem’
- The kettle was the main focus of the melody. Tarek captured a whistling kettle, which was then manipulated digitally to sound like varying notes that make up the main melody of God Save The King.
- The stirring crescendos of the National Anthem were created with the sounds of a climax of boiling water and tinkling of cutlery.
- Once these main elements were in, Tarek recorded and dropped in other sounds from making a cuppa; the PG Tips box opening, the stirring of a teaspoon, the pouring of milk and the drop of a sugar lump into a mug.
For media enquiries please contact Smoking Gun on rick@smokinggunpr.co.uk or 0161 839 1986
