Jedward set to fill a vacuum with reprise of classic cleaning advert
Jedward set to fill a vacuum with reprise of classic cleaning advert
0 Comments | Herald, The; Glasgow (UK), May 5, 2010
X Factor duo John and Edward Grimes were freshening up their careers in the recording studio yesterday – with Shake ‘*’ Vac.
The 18-year-olds, known as Jedward, showed their inimitable buoyancy as they took to the task, weeks after they were axed by record label Sony.
Born more than a decade after the commercial was first released in 1980, and unfamiliar with the original jingle, they nonetheless insisted the carpet freshener played a significant part in the Grimes household during their early years.
Bouncing down Dean Street, central London, sprinkling the cleaning powder, they said: “It’s a lot of fun – that’s what we are all about.
“It’s a really iconic advert. When we were younger we would use this stuff – we used to clean the stairs.
“We had five dogs and we would let them in the house and it would smell bad and then we would use Shake ‘*’ Vac and it would make the carpet smell nice.”
The teen sensations, who rose to fame with the help of X Factor judge Louis Walsh, said their version of the famous advertisement would feature a modernised jingle.
Though ridiculed for their musical performances, they hope their latest venture – which features the original actress Jenny Logan – will become an internet hit when it appears online.
Logan, who is leading a nationwide search to find the best new Shake ‘*’ Vac dance, said: “I am thrilled to be bringing the dance back to the nation and excited to partner with Jedward to get Britain doing the Shake ‘*’ Vac.”
The X Factor rejects became a national phenomenon on the talent show with their tuneless performances of Ghostbusters, We Will Rock You and Oops, I Did It Again.
But they were ditched by Sony after their debut single, Under Pressure, a duet with Vanilla Ice, failed to top the charts. They were later signed by Universal.
They were refused a deal by Simon Cowell who instead took on X Factor winner Joe McElderry and runner-up Olly Murs.
The new advert will appear online on May 20.