Pg Tips: Hairdressers
An example of the long-running Brooke Bond PG Tips advertising campaign, with talking chimpanzees dressed as humans.
By the time Hairdressers was first shown in 1978, Brooke Bond had been using a chimpanzee 'family' (known as the Tipps) in their PG Tips teabag advertising for 22 years, a tradition that finally ended in 2002. This is one of the most famous examples (it won a Gold Award at the British Television Advertising Awards), featuring Dolly and Ada gossiping about 'our Betty's' new hairdo, which justifies a visit to an all-chimp hairdressing salon where everyone's wearing a wildly incongruous wig.
When Brooke Bond started the campaign in 1956, they had 11% of the British tea market. By 1977, PG Tips was the market leader, with 26%, a success largely credited to Ada, Dolly and their simian co-stars. In his book Advertising Made Simple, Frank Jefkins attributes the campaign's success to its combination of innovation (no other medium allowed real chimps to pretend to be talking human beings) and down-to-earth ordinariness (the commercials are packed with parochial British references), as well as striking the right balance between regularly referring to the product without overselling it.
Liquid Refreshment
What’s your tipple? Whether it's a nice relaxing cuppa or a swift half, this refreshing collection of drinks adverts has something for everyone.
Learn about the dangers of night starvation, wonder whether it really can be good for you, and find out how to make things go better. Bottoms up!
48 videos in this collection
Guinness - RAF Flying Toucans
Pg Tips: Hairdressers
The Spirit of His Forefathers
Fun on the Farm
What Ho She Bumps
"Corona" Cordials taken hot - are good to drink and good for you
There is going to be a Great Demand for - "Corona" Fruit Drinks
South Sea Sweethearts
Love on the Range
Coco and the Bear
Horlicks Advert: Dan Dare
The Man with a Girder
Guinness: Shipwright
Guinness - Factory
Coca-Cola: Refreshes You Best - Bowling
Coca-Cola: Things Go Better With Coca-Cola - Diving, Bowling and Tennis
Coca-Cola: Alan Beale
Coca-cola: Biba's Boutique
Coca-cola: Piccadilly
A Guide to Goodness
Guinness Export - The Man (Version 1)
Guinness Export - The Man (Version 2)
Guinness Export - The Man (Version 3)
Carling Black Label Bike Girl
Guinness - Young Barmaid
Guinness - Hop Farm
Brooke Bond D: Tea Party
Guinness - Do It Yourself
Cinema Commercial for Charbonnier Red
Guinness - Streebe-Greebling (English)
Guinness - Kung Fool
Guinness - Ploughman
Whitbread Trophy 'shakespeare' 'a'
Guinness - End of Play
Guinness - Talking Lesson
Guinness - Film TEST
Guinness - April Fool
Guinness - April Fool (Animatic Version)
Babycham: Clovelly
Babycham: Tennis
Domestic Help
Meet the Ovaltineys
Good Strong Coffee
Dolly Put the Kettle On
Guinness - Cycle Race (Version 1)
Ace of Clubs
