Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO has produced a perfect recreation of a French ‘70s love song. Think Engelbert Humperdinck meets Serge Gainsbourg, with seduction dialled up to 100% and all its cheesy, starry accoutrements.

Le Chat’s song, Nourris-Moi Bebe (Feed Me Now), includes lines such as “I’ll be your little kitten if you place me down some chicken” and “Surrender to your fate. It’s time to get my plate.”

But Vincent Le Chat turns out to be no ordinary crooner. He’s the visual metaphor of the mesmerising, beguiling eyes of a cat when it wants feeding. He is the embodiment of a cat turning on its charms. And when cats do that, Resistance Is Futile.

The 90-second Crooner spot is running in cinemas in the UK from March 29 to April 5, with a 20-second version running on TV and online until May 19.

Alex Grieve, executive creative director at AMV BBDO, commented, “Sheba has such a distinctive tone of voice– sophisticated, magnetic and irreverent. For this campaign we brought to life the irresistible charms of a cat when it wants something through the medium of the most suave and charismatic love song writers of all time, the French chanteurs. Every single detail from the cinematography to the casting to the music composition makes this campaign absolutely irresistible. How can you not be seduced?”

Anthony Dean, Sheba European brand director at Mars Petcare, added, “At Sheba we know that pet owners love their cat’s effortless, elegant and confident feline spirit. They truly have us wrapped around their little paws and we can’t help but give in. We hope everyone enjoys meeting “Vincent le Chat” as much as we enjoyed bringing him to life.”

Vincent Le Chat is played by Hugo Nicolau, who started his artistic life taking piano lessons at the conservatoire in France. He has previously been in The Musketeers (2014), The Royals (2015) and Avenue to Nowhere (2015).  The audio production was by Mike Bamford from Strings and Tins, directors The Perlorian Brothers and production company MJZ

Credits

Agency: AMV BBDO

Executive Creative Director: Alex Grieve

Creative Team:  Clark Edwards & Andre Hull

TV Producer: Miles Nathan

Account Management: Laura Balfour, Alice Kassapian & Ella Dolding

Promo Design: Mario Kerkstra

Production Company: MJZ

Director: The Perlorian Brothers

Producer: Fraser Lawson

Editing & Post Production Company: Freefolk

Sound Studio: String And Tins

Sound Engineer: Mike Bamford

Music: String And Tins

Media: Eloise Huntingford @ Mediacom