Topical Talkers
Nostalgic TV Adverts.
Step back in time and prepare for a wave of warm nostalgia as we journey back a time of iconic and unforgettable television adverts.
Over the years there have been some classic commercials that made us smile and sing. Here are some of our favourites.
The drumming gorilla (Dairy Milk)
Although a drumming gorilla has absolutely nothing to do with chocolate, how can this not be a great advert of the past? 90 seconds of Phil Collins “In The Air Tonight” and a gorilla playing the drums as if it were Phil himself… What’s not to like? Unless you don’t like Phil Collins, the song or Dairy Milk??
Boy on the bike (Hovis)
Repeatedly named as one of Britain’s most loved adverts, this 47 second advert shows a young boy pushing a bicycle laden with bread up a picturesque English cobbled street (the belief it should have been set in the North of England but actually filmed in Dorset and directed by Ridley Scott). After he drops off his delivery, he then enjoys the ride back down.
JR Hartley (Yellow Pages)
How can we not forget these timeless “Yellow Pages” adverts? My favourite shows an elderly gentleman (played by Norman Lumsden) asking in several second hand bookshops for “Fly Fishing by J. R. Hartley”. No bookshop has it, and he goes home looking rather sad. His daughter, sympathising, hands him the Yellow Pages; and one of the shops he phones has a copy.
Other Yellow Pages adverts include The French Polisher, and the Mistletoe kiss, a 90’s advert where a small boy uses the Yellow Pages to stand on.
Kia-ora
The advert showcased cartoon-style animation and revolved around a friendly, anthropomorphic crow with a striking orange colour, reflective of the drink itself. The main character was usually seen in some sort of journey or adventure, accompanied by a variety of other characters. The most notable part of the advert was its catchy jingle, which went “Kia-Ora, we all adore a… Kia-Ora!”.
This tune, along with the tagline “I’ll be your dog,” became ingrained in the minds of the viewers, making it a memorable piece of advertising history.
Oxo
The OXO cube advertisements from the 1980s are quintessential parts of UK television history, well-remembered for their heartwarming depiction of family life. The adverts revolved around the ‘OXO family’, led by actress Lynda Bellingham as the nurturing, resourceful mother and Michael Redfern as the affable father. They were depicted as a typical, middle-class UK family with three children.
One of the most iconic elements of these ads was the ending, where the family would sit down to enjoy their meal together, always enhanced by OXO, reinforcing the brand’s association with family unity and wholesome, home-cooked meals.
Trio chocloate
The Trio chocolate bar advertisements from the 1980s were catchy, memorable, and very much a reflection of the decade’s bold style and sounds. The lyrics were straightforward and earworm-worthy: “Trio! Trio! I want a Trio and I want one now! Not one, not two, but three things in it! A chocolatey biscuit and a toffee taste too!”
What adverts do you remember?
There are literally too many to mention so we will follow this up with a “part 2” but in the meantime, ask your listeners “what are your favourite TV adverts?”.