Synopsis

Pauly Fuemana cruises through Auckland in a 1968 Chevrolet Impala, accompanied by backing vocalist Sina Saipaia and a passenger standing in for OMC member Brother Pele. The journey mixes relaxed driving shots with colorful soundstage performances, dancing, money-flashing, fire-breathing and playful surreal touches. The video's loose, celebratory style mirrors the song's blend of pop, rap and Pacific influences, turning an ordinary ride into a flamboyant showcase for OMC's sudden arrival on the international stage.

Factoids & Trivia

• The finished video was a second version. An earlier attempt was rejected in part because its lighting made Fuemana look unwell, leading to a rushed reshoot.

• Filming took place on a soundstage in Ponsonby, Auckland, and around the gardens of Ellerslie Racecourse.

• The production reportedly cost only $7,000, funded through New Zealand's NZ On Air music-video scheme.

• The video was assembled quickly after the first version was rejected. According to label owner Simon Grigg, it went to number one in New Zealand before a video was even available.

• Several people from Auckland's club scene were invited to take part. Backing vocalist Jasmin Chew later recalled being paid three CDs for appearing.

• Gil Manaois stood in for Brother Pele in the car sequences, while Sina Saipaia appears alongside Fuemana.

• The opening shots of the cruising Impala became especially recognizable in the United States, where the clip reportedly received more than 15,000 television plays between 1997 and 2000.

• Lee Baker, who worked on the video, also supplied the distinctive guitar part heard on the recording.

• The NZ On Air logo was accidentally left off an early version, prompting a request for it to be added.

• The video's deliberately inexpensive, improvised feel became part of its appeal: rather than presenting a polished fantasy world, it captures the exuberance of a local New Zealand hit unexpectedly becoming a global pop phenomenon.