“Svetlana Sucks Lemons”: The Orange Cinema Advert

The latest Orange cinema advert is really starting to wind me up. Anything that begins with a woman singing the lyrics, ‘Svetlana sucks lemons across from me,’ has, in my book, got a little too arty for its own good. I kid you not. Seriously. It begins with someone singing about sucking lemons.

Then the Orange Scottish guy enters the fray with a voice over beginning, ‘Heirrrrrrsss ahhh troooo storeeeeeeeee…. mahhh mate…’

The video footage features lots of people apparently having fun because there’s a power cut in New York.

I had a power cut for TWO days last week and I tell you, I was not out in the dark, eating ice cream poncing around shining torches at good looking women smiling waiting to get their hair done — at ANY point across that period.

The we end up with a ‘Sometimes you have to switch off to switch on,’ obviously aimed at asking people to put their phones off for the upcoming film. Good policy, I agree with that. But I think it’s a rather suspect message to tell your customers that they should switch their phones off in order to ‘switch on’….

Anyway, bring back the movie producer guy. Every time the Orange ad comes on, I just have to mentally switch off while that stupid song grates on me.

Just in case you wondered what I’m on about, here are the song lyrics:

Svetlana sucks lemons across from me,
and I am progressing abominably.
And I do not know my own way to the sea
but the saltiest sea knows its own way to me.

The city that turns, turns protracted and slow
and I find myself toeing th’embarcadero
and I find myself knowing the things that I knew
which is all that you can know on this side of the blue

And, for your viewing annoyance, here is the cinema advert:

About Ewan

Ewan is Founder and Editor of Mobile Industry Review. He writes about a wide variety of industry issues and is usually active on Twitter most days. You can read more about him or reach him with these details.

  • loopy

    Is this another voice job you have done……………………..

  • ewan

    I would have charged triple for having my voice over run across someone singing about sucking lemons

  • http://www.flirtomatic.com/agentl Lauren

    I love the advert, and I love the song!
    I think that the Orange ads before the movies are brilliant…

  • ewan

    Ahhh dear Lauren!

  • njar

    the song is by Joanna Newsom and she’s awesome.. Although i have quirky taste in music!

  • http://.... jeck

    I think maybe its rubbish or maybe its a stroke of genius who’s to say… apart from the genius’ of this world of course!….however is this a real artist or a recording that a kiddyfidler made and sold to orange for a bit of money…. the woman singing sound’s THREE YEARS OLD!!!!

  • monkey

    tut tut

  • monkey

    the people here who actually have the time to write this are seriously sad.. hehe

  • http://www.myspace.com/struttface struttface

    omg! its not a woman its a girl! duh :P

    should have looked in to it a little before u slatted it!

    i think its cool and chilled!

    but i see ur point about the lyrics lol!

    har har

  • Lorna

    Yes I agree the lyrics are just a bit strange, but I think its different and there is probably a meaning behind the song. I like it though :) And it does say that the story is true and thats what the blackout was like in 2003, not the two day blackout you were talking about.

  • Anda

    i love this advert!!! its my favourite ever. doesnt it just make you feel so speshial?

    the lyrics are strange but i love them! its an amazing singing voice, does the lady have an album??

    GO ORANGE…even though i’m on 02 lol

  • phissyr

    Hey Anda, Follow this link for Joanna Newsome info
    http://www.rogerwatersonline.com/Artists_s/Svetlana_lyrics.html

  • http://www.smstextnews.com/2007/01/svetlana_sucks_lemons_the_orange_cinema_advert.html AdnAb

    Well cool song, luved the advert wen it was in the cinema and still luv it now also a nice story to go with it, even if it is about a power cut and the girl sounds about three…LOL…all in all……..a nice advert

  • josie

    HA HA HA SUCKS LEMONS!!! its a well good song but it makes me laugh when i am in the cinema.

  • Richard

    It is, I agree, a toe-curlingly pretentious ad. Also, as a geography major, I get pedantically irritated by the fact that a song whose lyrics anchor it in San Fransico (the Embarcadero being a stretch of sea-front in SF) has been co-opted into a fey little featurette about the New York power cut. And yeah, everyone seen having a great time: what about the crime-wave that occurred during the power-out?
    Bah, humbug.

  • Geoff

    I love this advert. Brings back great memories of that day. I was in Toronto and we were effected in the same way as the whole eastern seaboard was down. Businessman were truly out there directing traffic, restaurants were giving away free food and selling cheap beer as they couldn’t keep any of it cold. There were throngs of people walking through the city from downtown to get home. On my long walk I got involved in a pick-up game of frisbee then further on saw a bunch of people on a corner in plastic chairs sitting around a bunch of candles listening to music and drinking beers. They invited us to sit down, take a load off, and share their drinks as a pit stop on the way home. The city truly came together. I’ll never forget it… and I love the song they put to it. Perfect.

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