Talk about flogging a dead horse!!

[troot28]

Sorry ABers but it's the Shirley Bassey/M&S question again.

The Wife & Mother in Law insist it's not her, whilst I say it is. I have visited the M&S website which states it is her. However, the other evening we attended the Wifes' works christmas party (At the Port Vale social club which was bad enough) and the cabaret was a Shirley Bassey tribute. She said the person in the ad was Maxine Barrie who apparently won 'Stars In Their Own Minds' a few years ago.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE THE DEFINATIVE ANSWER??

[rja211077]

i don't really see that, short of Ms Bassey swearing under oath in a court of law that it was her, you can get much more definitive than the M&S website stating it was her. they could not be seen to make false claims, even for such a trivial matter.

to claim it was Ms Bassey only to be found out that they'd saved a few quid by employing a tribute act instead would not be good for their reputation. and Ms Bassey's lawyers would be very interested too, i'm sure.

i'd believe the publicly listed company, not the cabaret act! would you believe the bloke down your local spouting his unfounded opinions over a company that's subject to stakeholder scrutiny in everything it does?

[cully]

troot, just to put your mind at rest, I rang up the Maxine Barrie website and asked the question. The woman I spoke to laughed and said "everybody thought it was Maxine" but admitted that it was actually Shirley herself.

As rja points out, you would hardly spend all that money on those top models and then skimp on the real Shirley Bassey.

[chazza]

From the M+S site@
http://www2.marksandspencer.com/thecompany/med iacentre/pressreleases/2006/com2006-11-06-00.s html

Dame Shirley Bassey Is M&S Special Guest This Christmas
Marks & Spencer launches its new Christmas advertising campaign on Wednesday 8 November 2006, with a spectacular new TV ad starring the legendary Shirley Bassey alongside the existing 'team' of five famous names who have featured in the retailer's campaigns over the past year - Twiggy, Erin O'Connor, Laura Bailey, Noemie Lenoir and Lizzy Jagger.

The ad is filmed in the spy-movie genre which sees the five women act as undercover agents called to an exciting assignment. Their mission, it turns out, is to attend an exclusive performance by Dame Shirley at a glamorous Christmas party. Dame Shirley also provides the soundtrack to the fast paced 90 second ad which is a specially re-worked version of Pink's 'Get the Party started'.

Steven Sharp, Marketing Director, Marks & Spencer said: "We wanted a really glam, gorgeous feel to the tv ad this year and who better to team up with our very stylish 'famous five' than the ultimate British music and style icon, Shirley Bassey. It's a real all singing, all dancing ad with every element of Christmas you could possible imagine from party dresses to reindeer to champagne."
...

Once ready they make a dramatic entrance descending the ice staircase of the hotel to the bar - Erin wearing an elegant black lace gown, Noemie in a floor length black dress, Laura in a floaty chiffon dress, Twiggy in figure hugging silver dress and Lizzie in skinny jeans and silver lace strapless top. A spotlight suddenly sweeps the room catching everyone's attention and hits the stage. Looking stunning in a scarlet red satin gown is Shirley Bassey. As she bursts into song the audi

[chazza]

audience spontaneously applaud. The camera pans out as the party really gets started!

The closing shot shows an exterior of the hotel with the night sky spectacularly lit up with fireworks which read "From Your M&S With Love".

The TV ad will launch at 7.45 p.m on Wednesday 8 November and run until 12 December. It will also be supported by in-store activity.