"Va-va-voom" has been used in advertising created by Publicis to promote Renault Clio since 2001, when it debuted in a campaign created by the creative teams of Paul Quarry and Jamie Colonna, and Andy Jones and Scott Sparks, but it was not until Arsenal and France football star Henry lent his Gallic tones to the phrase in a 2002 ad that it began to have common currency.
Now it has received the ultimate proof of legitimacy by being included in the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, being defined as "the quality of being exciting, vigorous, or sexually attractive".
Art director Jackie Steers created the Henry campaign alongside partner copywriter Ira Joseph. She said: "It's quite funny to think if you're going to get a bit of cultural penetration it will be with Thierry Henry. I think my mum will be pleased, she's a librarian."
However, Steers would not elaborate on the question of what is the French for va-va-voom. "You might find out in the next ad, or you might not. My lips are sealed," she said.
The expression takes its place alongside other new words and phrases, such as "sexing up", as used by former 'Today' programme defence reporter, Andrew Gilligan, to describe a government dossier on the threat posed by Iraq; "embed", for a journalist attached to a military unit during a conflict; and "metrosexual", which is defined as "a heterosexual urban man who enjoys shopping, fashion and similar interests traditionally associated with women or homosexual men".
As the new media become more mainstream, the phrases "flash mob" and "cybercrime" have taken their place in the latest edition of the Concise OED, which was published yesterday.
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .
.jpg)
.jpg)