Out with the old and in with the new – one of Britain’s leading animation companies pitches its new image with great humour

New and Improved Formula! Halas & Batchelor were stalwarts of the British animation industry, producing three of the commercials shown on the opening night of ITV in 1955. But as this promotional pitch for their services shows, by 1970 they were clearly concerned that advertising agencies saw them as a little old-fashioned. Yellow Submarine (1968) had highlighted the change in animation design and H&B were keen not to look behind the times.

Animated promotional film for Halas & Batchelor including a selection of their commercials.

A presenter walks onto the screen and talks about the wild, groovy, way-out animators at Halas & Batchelor. A bearded figure enters and tells him not to bother - people already have a picture of what H&B animation is - a rapid montage of old adverts is shown. The presenter decribes how things have changed and a selection of newer commercials are shown, with interspersed new material introducing them: - Tudor crisps, Coca-Cola, Zizanie eau de toilette, Colman's mustard, Renault cars and others. Examples of the work of new "animators" are shown with their names [hard to make out some]: Mel Calman, Colin Myer[?], Peter Maddock[?], Wayne Anderson, Bill Sewell, Geoff Dunbar.