Crazy Frog |
Crazy Frog is the marketing title of a ring tone based on The Annoying Thing, a computer animation created by Erik Wernquist. The animation was originally created to accompany a sound effect produced by Daniel Malmedahl whilst attempting to imitate the sound of a two-stroke moped engine. The Mobile phone content advertising of the Crazy Frog brand has drawn a great deal of criticism, with advertising authorities being inundated with complaints about the frequency and focus of the adverts, and the display of the frog s genitalia.
= History =
In 1997, 17 year old Sweden Daniel Malmedahl had a serious interest in imitating the sounds produced by different internal combustion engines. When friends heard Daniel s impressions, they immediately identified the comedic qualities of his talent and posted a recording of Daniel in action to a website where it caught the attention of a Swedish television researcher, who persuaded Daniel to perform the sound live on air.
After Daniel s television debut, recordings of his performance began appearing on peer to peer file sharing networks, and being distributed from various websites under the filename 2TAKTARE.MP3 ( Tvåtaktare is Swedish language for two-stroke cycle ).
The sound effect was quickly incorporated into Flash animations that continued to spread Viral marketing among Internet users. The most notable example was the Insanity test , which required test subjects to keep a straight face while staring at a photograph of Rubens Barrichello in a Ferrarri Formula 1 car as the sound effect was played, If you start laughing consider yourself legally insane , visitors to the site were informed.
In 2003, fellow Swede Erik Wernquist encountered the sound effect and was inspired to create the 3D animation The Annoying Thing to accompany it. Erik used the popular LightWave 3D_computer_graphics#Modeling application to produce the animation and made it freely available from his website. The animation was a popular attraction at Erik s website, but the sound was only credited to Anonymous. Eventually, word reached Daniel that his impressions had been used in a now well-known animation, he contacted Erik, apparently giving an impromptu performance to confirm his claims. Erik was convinced, and gave due credit to Daniel for his creation.
= Description =
The title character in The Annoying Thing is an anthropomorphic amphibian, who is quite frog-like in appearance. The character wears only a white motorcycle helmet with the chinstrap unfastened, a leather jacket, and goggles. His toes are webbed, and the iris (anatomy) of one eye is significantly larger than the other. Also present is a set of ambiguous, but controversial, genitalia.
In the animation, the character imitates the hand movements required to rotate the twistgrip controls of a motorcycle while making the sound of an engine ignition. As the imaginary engine starts, the character begins to levitate as exhaust fumes are discharged from his body. The character then disappears into the distance at high speed.
= Ringtone =
In 2004, the Germany based Jamba! group (ultimately owned by VeriSign) licensed the animation and sound for distribution as a mobile phone ringtone. Jamba!, trading under names such as Jamster! , RingtoneKing , and others, accompanied the release of the ringtone with a barrage of Television commercial, Internet, radio and print advertising, making it the most recognisable commercially available ringtone in the United Kingdom. Jamba! decided to market the ringtone as The Crazy Frog in the United Kingdom and Albert Motàr in Belgium, abandoning the existing title.
Jamba! have earned an estimated £14 million from the ringtone[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2095-1512482_1,00.html], making it the most commercially successful ringtone of all time. Attempting to repeat the Frog s success, Jamba! have commissioned new animated creature ringtones, including Sweety the Chick and Nessie the Dragon, and produced other ringones featuring the Crazy Frog including Crazy DJ Frog and a series of Crazy Frog World Tour tones featuring the Frog performing his usual vocalisations against backgrounds of various countries musical styles. These include the sitar-based Crazy Frog India , reggae-flavoured Crazy Frog Jamaica and Jimmy Barnes-esque Crazy Frog Australia Rock . Jamba also have available The Crazy Frog is Puking , Crazy Frog and Its Girlfriend , in which he is apparently making out, and The Crazy Frog is F++king , in which gasping and smacking skin can be heard.
=== Lyrics === :A ding ding ding ding dididing ding bing bing pscht, :Dorhrm bom bom bedom bem bom bedom bom bum ba ba bom bom, :Bouuuuum bom bom bedahm, Bom be barbedarm bedabedabedabeda :Bbrrrrrimm bbrrrrramm bbbrrrrrrrrraammmmm ddddddraammm, :Bah bah baah baah ba wheeeeeee-eeeee-eeeee!
= Single releases =
== Crazy Frog - Axel F ==
Main article: Axel F (Crazy Frog song)
A German dance duo named , by three or four copies to one. This is the official song endorsed by Jamster! which actually samples the original sound, where subsequent songs created their own samples of the sound.
As of summer of 2005 the song remains in the Top Ten in many European music charts and #50 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.
=== Music video ===
The Ministry of Sound commissioned Kaktus Film and Erik Wernquist, the original creator of the Crazy Frog, to produce a full-length animated music video to accompany the release of Axel F, featuring the Crazy Frog character. The animation is set in the future and centers on the pursuit of the Crazy Frog by a bounty hunter. The bounty hunter receives notification of a dollar reward for the capture of the Crazy Frog, who is only identified as The most annoying thing in the world, a reference to Wernquist s original name for the creature.
It is notable that the music video has recived very little airplay across most UK music channels, despite the song s popularity. Both VH1 & TMF have also omitted it from their Number Ones marathons despite the fact other chart-topping annoying novelty singles such as Mr. Blobby and Bob The Builder were included.
== Crazy Frog - Popcorn ==
Main article: Popcorn (Crazy Frog song)
The next official Crazy Frog single was Popcorn , which premiered on Top of the Pops in the UK. It is a remix of Hot Butter s original Popcorn (song) and it was released on August 22nd 2005 in the UK, reaching #12 on the UK Singles Chart.
== Pondlife - Ring Ding Ding ==
On February 17, 2005, a group of producers naming themselves Pondlife announced that the Crazy Frog would be released as a single. The people behind this were radio DJs Wes Butters, Trevor Jordan and Daryl Denham along with studio-owner Maurice Cheetham.
On March 19, 2005, Pondlife held Audition (performing arts) to find a live action Crazy Frog to star in their accompanying music video. Clips of the live action frog can be found [http://www.crazyfrogchorus.com/ here]
The track is called Ring Ding Ding, and was released on 6 June 2005. It reached #11 on the UK Singles Chart, two weeks after the Axel F version had charted.
== Frog Must Die - Kill The Frog ==
On June 20 2005, a song called Kill The Frog by Frog Must Die was released in the UK. Since the song did not appear in the top 250 of the UK Singles Chart, it is unclear whether the single was postponed, or simply failed to sell enough copies. As the name suggests, this CD is about killing the Crazy Frog.
== L.O.C. - Ring Ding Ding (Frog) ==
On June 27 2005, a song called Ring Ding Ding (Frog) by L.O.C. was released in the UK. It reached number 58 in the UK Singles Chart. This song sampled the Crazy frog sound.
== Het Feestteam - 50cc ==
In the winter of 2004, .
= Album releases =
==Crazy Hits==
Main article: Crazy Frog Presents Crazy Hits
An album entitled Crazy Frog Presents Crazy Hits was released on Albums Chart.
= Video Games =
==Crazy Frog Racer==
On July 1, 2005, UK-based Video game publisher Digital Jesters announced that they had acquired the rights to the video game licence for the Crazy Frog. Crazy Frog Racer , to be released in November 2005, is a racing game for the PlayStation 2 and Personal computer[http://www.digitaljesters.com/txtShow=product&ref=33].
=Merchandise=
A recent string of Crazy Frog merchandise has been released in the UK [http://www.crazyfrog.co.uk] , under the name The Annoying Thing due to copyright and licensing restrictions. These items are picked as big sellers for Christmas 2005, particularly the Annoying Thing Singing Plush which plays the ringtone when squeezed. Other products available include a board game, a desktop nodder, keyring, backpack, lunchbox and air freshener.
= See also =
== External links and references ==
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