Rudge and Whitworth: Britain's Best Bicycle
A gentleman cyclist learns the error of his ways in one of the earliest surviving British film advertisements.
Motion picture advertising was barely five years old when this Edwardian promo was made. Our gentleman cyclist looks rather worse for wear. If only he had a new Rudge-Whitworth bicycle he'd be a happier man! With its short, 30-second duration and simple, humorous message, this entertaining commercial shows that the wheel of screen advertising has turned full circle.
Rudge-Whitworth, formed in 1894 from the merger of the Rudge Cycle Co. and the Whitworth Cycle Co., was one of Britain's leading manufacturers of bicycles and motorcycles. The company reached its peak in the early 1930s, but suffered in the Depression. The bicycle business was ultimately sold to Raleigh, which kept the name alive for many years.
Pioneers of Screen Advertising
Almost from the dawn of film, advertising was a part of the filmgoing experience. This collection showcases some of screen advertising's earliest steps, as companies learnt to mimic the evolving forms of film comedy, drama, documentary and animation with the careful addition of their product as co-star.
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16 videos in this collection
Rudge-Whitworth - Britain's Best Bicycle
Girls Packing Soap
Changing Hues
Trojan Car Advert
Mr.........Goes Motoring
Cinema Commercial - Candy Cushions
The Tale of the Amp-lion
The Boy Who Wanted to Make Pictures
Looking Ahead
Does Your Wife Know?
Ransomes Trolley Buses
Barbara's Secret
Transporting Loads - With or without Roads
Sound Advice
