From the collection of
Established in 1992, the South West Film & Television Archive collection spans from 1893 to the present day containing more than 250,000 items. Formed from a variety of depositors, including broadcast news and programmes material from the Westward and TSW archive. In 2018 the archive collection transferred to The Box in Plymouth.
Mrs Cross takes the Daz test but what will the outcome be?
This is a Daz commercial from the regions filmed by Television Wales and West (TWW) in a mid Devon town. The television company held the franchise for South Wales and West of England region and broadcast from 1958 to 1968. This was part of half-hour programme of adverts that they broadcast weekly. Brand X or Daz? Mrs Cross of course chooses Daz for producing whiter than white whites and as if to make a point, the church bell chimes in the background!
What you can't see in black and white is the blue whiteness produced by the leading brand. Daz is a laundry detergent and was introduced in February 1953. It is manufactured by Proctor and Gamble and the advertising campaign featured the whiter than white series of adverts where ordinary householders stated why they would choose Daz. The adverts have helped to place the brand in the top echelons for recognisable household consumables with famous taglines that became catchphrases for the common householder.
Caring mums, hard-working housewives or independent, fun-loving 'new women' - the female consumer has long been a target of screen advertising.
In the cause of selling anything from baked beans to washing powders to all manner of labour-saving devices, advertisers have promised to make women's lives easier and to help them build happy homes and successful relationships.
There's no getting past the fact that women have all-too often been patronised and objectified by a male-dominated advertising industry. But screen advertising also tells (and sells) a more positive story of social progress for women, with increasing social and economic independence. This collection tracks the ups and downs of female empowerment in the 20th century, with its false steps as revealing as its forward ones.
