The first time I saw the new Dacia Duster commercial on television, I thought I recognized Michel Berger's voice without recognizing the song. And for good reason: the music in this car advertisement is an unreleased track by the artist released in 2022, for the 30th anniversary of his passing. If you haven't heard it yet, I suggest you discover this song which is a real gem.
If, like me, you missed the release of the song Vivre on October 7, 2022, you probably felt the same surprise as I did when seeing the new advertisement for the Dacia Duster. I must admit that it is the first time in my life that a car commercial has stirred such emotion in me, not because of the images but because of the music, of course!
Without any pun intended, I was completely baffled by this advertisement because I seemed to distinctly recognize the voice of Michel Berger, but not at all the lyrics of the song. I am quite familiar with the repertoire of this artist who passed away too soon, and I was very surprised to have missed such a striking title.
After the initial shock of the Dacia Duster advertisement, I rushed to my smartphone to check if my intuition was correct. I then discovered that the music in this ad was indeed a song by Michel Berger, but also that this track had a very particular history.
According to Wikipedia, Michel Berger recorded this song in 1980 for his album Beauséjour, which includes essential hits like La groupie du pianiste and Celui qui chante!
He was already a recognized singer-songwriter and wrote this track during one of the most prolific periods of his life. However, at the time of the album's release, he had to exclude several tracks because, back then, the vinyl format limited the length of a record...
Thus, the track Vivre fell into oblivion for several decades. Fortunately for fans, in 2022, Michel Berger and France Gall's son, Raphaël Hamburger, agreed to release this previously unheard track on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the artist's passing.
Although this song was written more than 40 years ago, it seems surprisingly relevant in the 2020s. The lyrics resonate with current issues, the climate emergency, and the need to preserve life on our planet. The title alone, Vivre, sounds like an injunction or at least advice...
Through this song, which swings with the help of choirs and brass, Michel Berger invites us to celebrate life in all its forms. This track, which I invite you to discover in full in the video below, once again testifies to the visionary spirit of this French poet.
For my part, I was glued to my television the first time I heard this magnificent song in the Dacia commercial. I am surely not the only one who felt this wonder tinged with nostalgia.
I later discovered, thanks to Wikipedia, that the use of this song in a commercial allowed it to reach the number one spot on iTunes France downloads in December 2023, at the time of the release of this advertisement.
Author Audrey on 09 May 2022
Art and Culture : Festival
Author Audrey on 27 February 2023
Art and Culture : Festival