Newsletter
Events
'The Blue Danube' Takes Its Rightful Place in Space, and More From Europe
Vienna Tourism, Puma and Dom Pérignon
Alongside Jung von Matt Donau, the Vienna Tourist Board corrected a wretched oversight that Austria’s had to live with for 48 years. In 1977, a lovingly curated selection of music, sounds and images were sent into space to represent Earth … and it did not include Johann Strauss II’s “The Blue Danube.”
This was among the music used when huge spaceships traverse the galaxy in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: The Space Odyssey, making it the ultimate space soundtrack for our race. How could we have slept on this? What will the aliens think of us?
The make-up flight is called “Waltz Into Space,” arriving right on time for the composer’s 200th birthday. On May 31, the Wiener Symphoniker performed “The Blue Danube” in the Museum of Applied Arts. This version was then transmitted out yonder via Deep Space Antenna 2. In just 23 hours and three minutes, it overtook NASA’s Voyager 1, the ship with the original Earth-themed care package. Take that, Bach! Now you’re going to sound like you were late to the space opera.
The teaser ad is below:
But they also made a full documentary, because how could you not:
This is a fun way to put Vienna on the map … and not just for human beings. “In a time when space exploration is becoming increasingly private and commercial, ‘Waltz Into Space’ reminds us that culture—not just technology—is humanity’s gift to the universe,” says JVMD ECD Mike Nagy.
Next, we learn that creation is like a dance. It’s all around us, like birds and bees. Listen to your body, your pulse, your breath. It’s not us saying this stuff. It’s Dom Pérignon in “Creation Is an Eternal Journey,” and the words hail from the storied mouths of Tilda Swinton, Iggy Pop, Zoë Kravitz, Anderson .Paak, Alexander Ekman, Clare Smyth and Takashi Murakami.
You can probably say whatever you want about creation. The ad basically just exists to paint a smooth grayscale world, where creators hold forth in perpetually beautiful light, and sip champagne when they’re thirsty. Work by BETC Etoile Rouge.
We opened with a waltz, so it’s only right to close with a ball. A soccer ball, that is, so put down those princess shoes. To celebrate its role as official supplier of the Premier League, Puma and Dude London released “Havin’ a Ball.” It builds on the insight that Premier League players only get to hold the ball for about 109 seconds per game.
So you have to enjoy the ball while you’ve got it! This cheerful work features people ball-hogging with glee, on and off the field. It’s a nice change from the drama and intensity that characterizes sports as a sector, with a focus on play instead of victory.
Angela Natividad is the European markets editor at Muse by Clios. She also writes about gaming and fashion, and whatever else she’s interested in, really. She’s based in Paris and North Italy, so if you’re local, say hi. She might eat all your food.
