The Spirit of His Forefathers
One of the earliest surviving British adverts
There's some dram-antic stuff in this 30-second commercial from the dawn of cinema history. Dewar's had used the idea of a laird's ancestors being lured down from their painted portraits to share a whisky in a variety of advertising media before moving image came along. This version is the second surviving example on film, with an earlier American production of the same concept made by the International Film Company in 1897.
This British production made a late reappearance as part of a 1977 television commercial for Dewar's under the title The Whisky of His Ancestors to promote their advertising heritage.
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.
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