Synopsis

The promo presents OMD in a playful, surreal pastiche of British crime cinema and scientific imagery. Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys perform amid genetics books and staged scenes involving a sharply dressed pair modeled on the Kray brothers, a young woman, and a grand Rolls-Royce. The visual treatment is more eccentric than explanatory, using the song's title as a springboard for a stylized collision of pop performance, old-fashioned gangster mannerisms, and pseudo-scientific atmosphere.

Factoids & Trivia

• "Genetic Engineering" was released as the first single from OMD's 1983 album *Dazzle Ships*. It reached No. 20 on the UK Singles Chart.

• The song's synthetic spoken voice was created using a Speak & Spell educational toy made by Texas Instruments.

• The video includes a stack of books about genetics. Andy McCluskey later said that he borrowed some of them after filming.

• McCluskey has described the video as not being one of his favorites, although he singled out the scenes featuring Mally and Martin portraying the Kray brothers.

• The Rolls-Royce used in the video belonged to comedian Mel Smith.

• The girl in the video was played by actress Joann Kenny, who also appeared in *Grange Hill*, *Doctor Who*, and *The Bill*. She died in 2010.

• The promotional video was later included on the DVD edition of *Messages: Greatest Hits*, released in 2008.