Corona: What's Missing from this Picture?

From the collection of

Archif Sgrin a Sain Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru / National Library of Wales Screen and Sound Archive
Established in 2001, the National Library of Wales Screen and Sound Archive holds an unrivalled collection of films, TV and radio broadcasts, video tapes and sound recordings relating to Wales and the Welsh, from 1898 to the present day. The collection spans multiples formats and genres, both professional and amateur.

Corona: What's Missing from this Picture?


Life is looking up! The war is over and the 'Corona Man' can visit his Corona families once more, door-to-door.

The Corona sparkle, that's what's missing! But not for much longer. As this cinema advert makes clear, Corona drinks will soon be delivered door-to-door again, the service having been disrupted during WWII when lorries and drivers were commandeered by the government. Corona drinks were manufactured by Thomas & Evans Ltd, the first factory being in Porth, Rhondda, at the Welsh Hills Mineral Water Factory (since 2000 a recording studio known as The Pop Factory).

The original Mr William Thomas and Mr William Evans were Porth grocers who, in the 1890s, decided to market an alternative to alcohol for thirsty miners. They were not successful in getting pubs to stock their soft drinks but did excellent business selling door-to-door to families, using horses and carts and, later, vans. Further factories were opened in e.g. Pengam, Maesteg and Bridgend. Corona was sold in 1958 to the Beecham Group, which kept the company brand and production continued to be centralised in the south until 1987 when the company was bought by Britvic Soft Drinks and the Welsh Hills plant was closed, production being transferred to Lancashire. The Corona brand was withdrawn in the late 1990s.


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From the collection

Cinema Advertising Comes of Age

The 1930s saw screen advertising find its voice. That wasn't just down to the arrival of the 'talkies', but to the increasing professionalism of ad agencies and production companies. 

Through WWII and the postwar austerity years and into the 'never had it so good' 1950s - when it had to compete with the new commercial television service - cinema advertising offered a bigger bang for your advertising buck.


31 videos in this collection

1

Symphony in Colour (Persil Advert)

2

Music Hath Charms

3

The Warning (Gibbs S.R. Toothpaste)

4

Every Man His Own Housewife (Persil Advert)

5

Let's Ask the Ladies

6

Murder in the Air

7

Bee Wise!

The key word in the book of fashion is simplicity
8

Sketchbook of Fashion (Knights Castile Advert)

9

Aladdin and the Junior Genie

10

Signs of the Times No.3

11

Fable of the Fabrics

12

It all Depends Which Way You Look at It (Solidox Advert)

13

Signs of the Times No 196

14

A Thief in the Night

15

Change for the Better

Use Rinso and help defeat Hitler! Soap brand Rinso deploys some savvy wartime advertising.
16

Little Miss Muddlehead (Rinso Advert)

17

What's Missing from this Picture?

18

Signs of the Times

19

Signs of the Times

20

Mousewife's Choice

21

Mrs Mopp's Birthday

22

The Trawl in Action

23

Signs of the Times No.2

24

Molar Mischief (Solidox Advert)

25

Shippam's Guide to Opera

26

Put Una Money for There

A curious blue lake, a wonder tablet, a river boat and a picnic essential - sounds like the beginning of a story!
27

Signs of the Times No.58

28

Says Sirdani

29

Thief in the Night (Persil Advert)

30

Changing Hues

31

Cinema Commercial - Candy Cushions

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