Bubbles and Stars
Spain is no different from most Western countries in that at Christmas and New Year's most people celebrate with sparkling wine, champagne, or cava. All words for the same bubbly golden liquid that brings headiness and a warm feeling that all's well with the world. Spain has two very well-known national brands of cava, Freixenet and Cordoniu, both from Catalunya. There are others, but these two are the most famous. Some wineries in Galicia have also begun producing sparkling wine from the Albariño grape, but it doesn't taste the same. Albariño is better for fresh white wines than for sparkling wines.
To boost sales of their cava, Freixenet (and to a lesser extent, Codorniu) have for years made special commercials at Christmas time. They have at times been small productions that look like a light and dance show, or a small movie. But there are two things that have almost always been included until just a few years ago, when the crisis began: "bubbles" and famous people. The "bubbles" are young women dancers dressed up in gold colored costumes representing the bubbles that rise up the sides in a champagne glass. The first commercial with a famous person was in 1977 and featured Liza Minelli singing "Life is a Cabaret" and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas in Spanish. At the end, she walks off the stage with a glass of cava and a bottle of Freixenet Carta Nevada. From there things only got bigger. Stars such as Gene Kelly, Christopher Reeve, Ann Margaret, Paul Newman, Sharon Stone, Pierce Brosnan, and Demi Moore have all tried to help sell cava since then. The first commercial of each season was emitted at prime time at the beginning of December and was another way of knowing Christmas was approaching. They varied in length throughout the years, from the under three minute one with Liza Minelli to the super production of over six minutes in 2000.
In these later years, however, they've been going more with well-known Spanish faces who probably are also paid less. It's also a political statement against Catalán independence, which has cost them a boycott in Catalunya. They have also used the Spanish national synchronized swimming team as "bubbles". And this year's commercial is just about a minute long and is a choreography performed by the Spanish national rhythmical gymnastics team, suggesting that as a team we can all move onwards much better than individually. All in the interests of national unity.
Even with a glass of cava you can't get away from politics here!
To boost sales of their cava, Freixenet (and to a lesser extent, Codorniu) have for years made special commercials at Christmas time. They have at times been small productions that look like a light and dance show, or a small movie. But there are two things that have almost always been included until just a few years ago, when the crisis began: "bubbles" and famous people. The "bubbles" are young women dancers dressed up in gold colored costumes representing the bubbles that rise up the sides in a champagne glass. The first commercial with a famous person was in 1977 and featured Liza Minelli singing "Life is a Cabaret" and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas in Spanish. At the end, she walks off the stage with a glass of cava and a bottle of Freixenet Carta Nevada. From there things only got bigger. Stars such as Gene Kelly, Christopher Reeve, Ann Margaret, Paul Newman, Sharon Stone, Pierce Brosnan, and Demi Moore have all tried to help sell cava since then. The first commercial of each season was emitted at prime time at the beginning of December and was another way of knowing Christmas was approaching. They varied in length throughout the years, from the under three minute one with Liza Minelli to the super production of over six minutes in 2000.
In these later years, however, they've been going more with well-known Spanish faces who probably are also paid less. It's also a political statement against Catalán independence, which has cost them a boycott in Catalunya. They have also used the Spanish national synchronized swimming team as "bubbles". And this year's commercial is just about a minute long and is a choreography performed by the Spanish national rhythmical gymnastics team, suggesting that as a team we can all move onwards much better than individually. All in the interests of national unity.
Even with a glass of cava you can't get away from politics here!
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