Best Parkour Commercials: Honorable Mention

Posted by misterparkour on July 8, 2008

The number #8 commercial in our Top 10 Parkour Commercial Countdown was the Coca-Cola ad featuring Kazuma, Romain Moutault, and Dominique Lexilus. The #2 commercial in the countdown was the 2001 BBC ad featuring David Belle. In spite of the singular brilliance of these commercials as individual productions, an even more stunning (and just so happens more famous) video was created when footage from these two productions were combined. A hybrid edit of the footage from the BBC ad and the Coca-Cola commercial generated this action packed and influential edit that we have deemed as an honorable mention in our Parkour commercial countdown.

To this day we have not been able to corroborate the claim that this video was ever used as an official commercial or commercial production. This confusion is widespread and some claim this was a music video while others claim it was the BBC commercial edit for the United States. Even though the lighting, cinematography, and other production qualities of both independent commercials are eerily similar, both explanations for a combined edit present questions with unsound answers. If this was a commercial then why is no product featured? If this was a music video than why does the video only feature half of the song? How could this footage have been combined for commercial purposes if the original productions were shot for two completely separate commercials? The questions go on and on, and until someone can produce an official commercial copy, or until someone admits to being the one who originally spliced the footage from these two productions together, we may never know the true commercial utilizations or intentions of this video. However, regardless of this video’s commercial past, as a famous hybrid of two of the best Parkour-featuring commercials ever made this video deserves an honorable mention in our commercial countdown.

As one of the first Parkour videos ever posted on YouTube, this video is also responsible for being a prevalent influence that shaped much of the Parkour culture that exists today. For nothing more than being one of the first Parkour videos on the internet, this edit has prodded countless Tracers’ into the discipline. The influence of this video also extends to the music and clothing world of Parkour. With its inclusion of the musical composition 1980 from the French artist Diam’s’ 2003 album Brut de Femme, this Parkour video was one of the first of its kind to feature rap music. With no effort at all anyone can now view the overwhelmingly dominant use of the rap music genre in personal and professional Parkour edits and demo across the internet. Also, the clothing worn in this video, most notably the pants worn by all four participatory Tracers, and the shirtless style sported by David, has also greatly contributed to the clothing styles that we see today in Parkour training around the world.

Whether or not this video was ever a true commercial production, its cannot be understated. Including footage from the 2001 BBC commercial and extended footage from the Parkour-featuring Coca-Cola ad we have designated this video as an honorable mention in the top Parkour commercials of all time. With the athletic talents of David Belle, Kazuma, Romain Moutault, and Dominique Lexilus the richness of the Parkour exhibited speaks for itself. And just as noteworthy is the nearly unrivaled genuine and pure Parkour that is displayed for the audience. With the rap musical precedent provided by Diam’s, and the influence this video had on Parkour clothing style, this video is more than deserving of not only a mention in our commercial countdown but also a prominent place in Parkour history.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x38ety