The History of Advertising Podcast

If in doubt, always add children or rapping farmers to your ads. On this episode, we look back at two sensationally silly and devastatingly effective campaigns from Yeo Valley and Haribo - featuring contributions from Rosie Arnold and Trevor Robinson OBE. 

On this episode of the History of Advertising Podcast, we're looking at Create Not Hate - an organisation founded to increase diversity in advertising, which redoubled its efforts following the killing of George Floyd. Featuring contributions from Trevor Robinson OBE. 

Some ads promise you products that will make you skip down the street and sing with the birds. Others promise nothing but a slap in the face. On this episode, we look at anti-advertising ads - 'Sorry I Spent it on Myself' and 'You Know When You've Been Tango'd'. Featuring contributions from Richard Brim and Trevor Robinson OBE. 

On this episode, we’re tackling the big one – the John Lewis Christmas ads. For many people, the unveiling of the John Lewis ad now heralds the beginning of Christmas, and on this episode we’re taking a closer look at what it takes to produce them. Featuring contributions from Richard Brim and Rosie Arnold. 

Misleading, deceitful, and just plain offensive ads - who's responsible for making sure that we see as few of these as possible? On this episode,  we are taking a closer look at the ASA - the Advertising Standards Authority. Featuring contributions from Guy Parker and Lord Christopher Smith.  

Maltesers and the menopause, deodorant and detailing what happens after one-night stands. On this episode, we are looking at pioneering ads which have changed the conversation around gender and stereotypes. Featuring contributions from Rosie Arnold. 

Recently, the ASA introduced a ban on gender stereotypes in ads. On this episode, we look at why this had to be introduced, and how it’s affected the creative landscape. Featuring contributions from Guy Parker and Rosie Arnold. 

Who knows? Well, hopefully, Sir Frank Lowe, Jeremy Bullmore, Dave Trott, Rory Sutherland, and Hugh Hudson have some idea. 

The Brits might not like to admit it, but the golden age of UK advertising owes a great debt to American influences. Featuring contributions from Sir Alan Parker, Judie Lannon and Dave Trott, we unpack the differences and similarities between the UK and US advertisers. 

On this industry insight episode of the History of Advertising Podcast, we are looking at the rise of the internet, and how it’s affected adland. With contributions from Rory Sutherland, Judie Lannon, Martin Boase, Dave Trott, and Brian Palmer. 

Adland's most valuable assets go out of the building at the end of every working day. In this episode, we hear how Dave Trott.and Sir Frank Lowe managed their creative teams, and the lessons agency leaders can take from their differing approaches. 

Does research help, or hinder creativity? Sir Frank Lowe recalls the successful Heineken campaign that would have never been made, if they had listened to the research. Meanwhile, Judie Lannon and Jeremy Bullmore explore how research can inspire great ads - but only if the right models are used. 

“A director must be a policeman, a midwife, a psychoanalyst, a sycophant and a bastard.” On this episode of the history of advertising podcast, we are taking a closer look at the policemen, midwives, psychoanalysts and sycophantic bastards – as we look at the role that the director plays in bringing TV ads together. Contributions from Sir Alan Parker, Hugh Hudson, Brian Palmer, and Jeremy Bullmore.

Starting with the first TV ad ever broadcast in the UK, we continue our look at the rise of commercial TV in the UK. We see how the medium evolved from its uninspiring beginnings, when directors and writers started focusing on producing ads that were just as good as the TV shows themselves. Contributions from Sir Alan Parker, Brian Palmer, and Jeremy Bullmore.

On this episode of the History of Advertising Podcast we look at how commercial TV came into being as a medium, the effect that it had on the world of advertising, and why it was initially seen as being too vulgar for the British. Contributions from Brian Palmer, Jeremy Bullmore, and Rory Sutherland. 

On this episode of the history of advertising podcast, we look at a range of distinctly unfashionable products, and how creatives have gone about advertising them. We’ll be looking at everything from tobacco to the powdered mashed potato – as we uncover what it takes to successfully flog an unfashionable horse. Contributions from Jeremy Bullmore,  Jeremy Sinclair, Martin Boase and Dave Trott 

Mr Kipling never existed, neither did Ted Baker or Aunt Bessie. In this episode, featuring contributions from Judie Lannon, Rory Sutherland, and Jeremy Bullmore, we explore the difference between brand and product - as well as what exactly goes into creating a brand's personality.  

What do Bob Hoskins, Ken Livingstone, and an oversized turd have in common? On this episode we hear from adland legend Dave Trott, as he recalls his campaign to cancel the third world debt.

"It's naughty, it's troublesome, it's illegal - all the reasons we're supposed to be creative." Hear about Dave Trott's illegal campaign to get UK banks to cancel the third world debt, and how Jeremy Sinclair used an image of a pregnant man to promote safe sex. 

Chariots of Fire director Hugh Hudson recounts some of the most visually stunning campaigns he developed, and Sir Frank Lowe recalls what it was like filming an ad for Fiat in Italy during 'The Years of Bullets.'

Bring me sunshine, bring me love, and bring me comedians to star in my ad. In this episode, the History of Advertising Podcast speaks with Dave Trott, Sir Frank Lowe and Sir Alan Parker about the value that comedians can bring to a campaign. 

Do celebrities really add all that much to an ad? After all, many of the most definitive campaigns have featured people who were barely better known than a dead hermit.

In this episode, the History of Advertising Podcast tries to get to the bottom of the issue by looking at campaigns from Birds Eye (one of the first to use ‘real’, regional actors) and Holsten Pills (featuring Griff Rhys Jones and the revived digital corpse of John Wayne).

What happened to political advertising following the fall of Thatcher? And which anti-Blair ad was banned by the censors following complaints from the Bishop of Oxford? The History of Advertising Podcast looks at pivotal political campaigns from the end of the twentieth century. 

What role did the Labour isn't Working campaign play in Margaret Thatcher's rise to power? And how did Chariots of Fire director Hugh Hudson come to work on  Neil Kinnock's campaign film? The History of Advertising Podcasts looks at the role advertising has played in politics. 

This Christmas, Iceland’s Christmas ad never made into our screens. The budget retailer’s decision to partner with Greenpeace to present an ad condemning the destruction of rainforest habitat was banned by censors for being too political. However, thanks to its banned status, it became one of the most viewed adverts on social media over the festive season. 

Censors have been accused of curtailing creativity ever since they came into existence. In this episode the History of Advertising Podcast looks at two very different campaigns, one from Cosmpolitan and another from Benson and Hedges, who creatively navigated the censors to deliver provocative adverts. 

What does it take to write a killer line? It’s a question which makes half the population of adland tear their hair out. In this episode, the History of Advertising Podcast looks at one of the most enduring slogans of all time: 'Every Little Helps'. 

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that any ad which enters the public consciousness will soon be in wont of spoofing. A successful spoof, however, requires some delicate tightrope walking. In this episode, the History of Advertising Podcast looks at how the Cinzano ad successfully parodied Martini and why After Eight decided against releasing an ad which parodied its own previous campaigns. 

The golden age of British advertising was more than just Mad Men and liquid lunches. Every week, the History of Advertising podcast reveals the stories behind the nation’s most celebrated adverts.

How do you turn the tide when you're getting drowned by your competitors? In this episode, the History of Advertising Podcast speaks with Dave Trott to learn how Toshiba set itself apart from other Japanese electronics companies, and how London Docklands moved away from being known as a 'barren wasteland of mud'. 

How do you compete against a competitor who is selling an almost identical product? In this episode, the History of Advertising Podcast speaks to Judie Lannon to find out how Persil first dealt with the thorny issue of Ariel.