Synopsis

Def Leppard perform "Promises" amid intense colored lighting, rapid edits, and dramatic visual effects. Intercut with the band's performance are scenes of visitors gathered at Los Angeles' Griffith Observatory for a 3-D planetary light show. The cosmic imagery gives the polished rock track a suitably expansive setting, while close-ups of Joe Elliott and the other members keep the focus on the group. The video combines a familiar performance-based format with a bright, futuristic atmosphere that reflects the song's return to Def Leppard's melodic hard-rock style.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was released in 1999 to promote "Promises," the lead single from the album *Euphoria*.

• The Griffith Observatory sequence is one of the video's defining elements. The location had already been used extensively in film and music-video productions, making its planetarium-style imagery a natural fit for the song's grand, space-themed presentation.

• "Promises" marked a return to Def Leppard's established melodic sound after the more experimental direction of *Slang*. The video reinforces that comeback by presenting the band in a highly polished, classic rock setting.

• The song reunited the group with songwriter and producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, who co-wrote it with Phil Collen. Lange had not contributed to the band's songwriting since *Adrenalize*.

• "Promises" reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, giving Def Leppard one of its strongest later-career radio successes.

• The clip also drew attention to the band's updated late-1990s appearance, including the members' shorter hairstyles, contrasting with their more heavily styled looks from the 1980s.