September 21st, 2015
Europe Performs 'Final Countdown' In New Commercial
Europe's ageless 1986 hit "The Final Countdown," a staple at sports events for decades now, has found a new home on television. Watch as the former Top 10 Billboard smash, composed by frontman Joey Tempest, creates a backdrop for a funny Geico advertisement where an every-day office worker is nuking his lunch.
"He's fixing his burrito in the microwave," Tempest says as part of a behind-the-scenes video, "and it's counting down from 10, the last 10 seconds - and, all of a sudden, we are performing in that lunch cantina. Then, it's a final countdown kind of thing."
"The Final Countdown," fans will remember, was also regularly featured on TV's Arrested Development. That followed a run up the charts to No. 1 in 25 countries, including France, Germany, the U.K., and the band's home country of Sweden. Europe, which also scored an '80s-era Billboard Top 10 hit with "Carrie," released War of Kings - their 10th studio album - back in March.
One of the technical elements of the Geico shoot that had to be worked out involved its small stage, which eventually begins to move forward during the commercial - then firing off huge sparks on either side, right inside the breakroom set. Drummer Ian Haugland says, "It was crazy enough for us to say, 'Yes, we'll do it.'"
MVD has exclusively distributed Europe's AV content for years. The most recent release, Europe "Live At Sweden Rock - 30th Anniversary Show," is available on DVD, Blu-ray, and CD HERE.