Move over “Cool Britannia,” and make way for “Urbane Ukraine.”
The English former footballer, fashion icon and designer David Beckham has used the distinctive music of Ukrainian band DakhaBrakha in the first commercial for his new grooming brand House 99.
DakhaBrakha’s song “Sho z-pod duba” (That From Under the Oak) plays throughout Beckham’s House 99 commercial, which was released on Jan. 9.
The song, from DakhaBrakha’s 2007 album “Yagudki,” has previously been heard in an episode from the third season of the U.S. black comedy crime television series “Fargo,” broadcast last year.
DakhaBrakha combines Ukrainian folk motifs and singing styles with modern musical trends in what has been dubbed the “ethno-chaos” genre. Since gaining success in Ukraine, the band has won much admiration abroad, and tours the United States, Canada and Europe every year.
The grooming brand’s commercial is entitled “Home to Your Next Look.”
It features Beckham himself and other men in a range of costumes, with various hair and beard styles, as they brush and do their hair, and shave.
Stylish and dynamic, the video depicts the aesthetics of male barbering.
“In the spirit of open experimentation, the art of grooming by David Beckham meets the heritage of barbershop techniques,” the video’s description on YouTube reads.
The French company responsible for the commercial’s music production reached DakhaBrakha via email, the band’s art manager, Iryna Horban, told the Kyiv Post.
She says that they sent her an offer along with a demo of the video.
“They had a few song options but the client (House 99) insisted on ours,” Horban said.
DakhaBraha’s art manager said Beckham probably didn’t suggest the song himself, but must have heard it before the decision was made.
The former footballer launched the grooming brand in partnership with French cosmetics company L’Oréal to provide men with products for skincare, haircare, bodycare and grooming.
Beckham chose the number 99, which he has tattooed on his hand, as it represents a significant year in both his personal life and career, according to the brand’s statement on the MultiVu website.
1999 was the year in which Beckham married fashion designer Victoria Beckham, their son Brooklyn was born, and football club he played for at the time, Manchester United, won the treble – the English Premier League and the Football Association Challenge Cup, along with the UEFA Champions League.
“I created House 99 to give people the inspiration as well as the right products to experiment and feel completely at home doing so. House 99 is here to support men, to give them the tools they need to create whatever look they are going for,” Beckham said in the statement on the MultiVu website.
