This week, LBB is marking a very special occasion: the anniversary of the very first TV ad \u2013 a Gibbs SR toothpaste spot, featured in the still above \u2013 which aired 70 years ago, in 1955. To say that a lot has happened since in the world of TV advertising would be quite the understatement with each decade since the \u201860s bringing new changes, shifting broadcast rules, and iconic ads too. Few working in the industry today will have any knowledge of the then nascent industry but knowing one\u2019s history is only ever a good thing. That\u2019s why we\u2019re rounding off the celebration with a megaforce tour of advertising through the decades, with help from Kantar, and asking what we can learn from what\u2019s come before.<\/p>\n
We can learn from the Gibbs ad in the way it tapped into a specific concern among its market, \u201ca growing concern around dental care,\u201d says Lynne Deason, head of creative excellence at Kantar. \u201cFocusing on the scientific research behind its fluoride toothpaste, Gibbs tapped into what consumers wanted and needed, while keeping the brand front and centre in its creative. It was innovating not only with its new product, but of course by using TV as an advertising medium at all \u2013 boldly differentiating itself from the market.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since that historic moment, advertising has evolved to not only address specific concerns and communicate the latest research and innovations, but to create desires and tap into nuanced audience insights in order to build up many of the brands and products that feel like a part of the fabric of our lives today. \u201cAdvertising has transformed over the past 70 years \u2013 what was once, first and foremost, a product pitch became more creative. It\u2019s not only a source of information, but a source of enjoyment and entertainment,\u201d adds Lynn.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs Britain evolved \u2013 whether we were welcoming domestic efficiency after the war or reacting to the era of individualism in the 1980s, ads changed with us, as the industry sought to mirror the social mood and feel relevant. The most effective advertising doesn\u2019t just springboard from culture; it creates and shapes culture,\u201d she continues, noting that for many Britons, for example, \u201cit isn\u2019t Christmas until they\u2019ve seen the \u2018Holidays Are Coming\u2019\u201d spot. Moreover, even language isn\u2019t immune to being shaped by advertising with \u201cexpressions like \u2018you either love it or you hate it\u2019 becoming part of our vernacular.\u201d<\/p>\n
Below, LBB and Kantar take a look at the advertising decades\u2019 defining features and trends.<\/p>\n
1960s: Product-led Simplicity<\/p>\n
The \u201860s were all about product demonstration and rational messaging. Ads were straightforward, often literal, and focused on utility, like Persil\u2019s \u2018Washes Whiter\u2019, continuing the print-era tradition of comparative claims while Findus Fish Fingers showed convenience in the kitchen.<\/p>\n
This was advertising as a guide, reflecting a post-war Britain embracing modernity, domestic efficiency, and the rise of consumer goods.<\/p>\n
1970s: The Jingle Era<\/p>\n
Jingles became creative currency \u2013 hard to forget, these ads were catchy, fun and often surreal, reflecting a society looking for levity amid economic uncertainty.<\/p>\n
Mars \u2018Work, Rest and Play\u2019 embedded itself in the national psyche.
Smash \u2018Martians\u2019 mocked traditional cooking with futuristic satire.
Shake\u2019n\u2019Vac (1980) and Cornetto\u2019s \u2018Just One Cornetto\u2019 (1982) carried the jingle legacy into the next decade.<\/p>\n
1980s: Celebrities and Hollywood Glamour<\/p>\n
The \u201880s dialled up aspiration and star power. Brands borrowed from cinema and celebrity culture to create ads that felt larger than life. This was the era of Thatcherism, individualism, and globalisation, which advertising reflected with bold, glamorous storytelling.
Cinzano with Joan Collins and Leonard Rossiter brought Hollywood to the living room; Levi\u2019s \u2018Laundrette\u2019 redefined masculinity with sex appeal and rebellion.<\/p>\n
1990s: Storytelling and Quirkiness<\/p>\n
The \u201890s saw a shift toward narrative and character; advertising became entertainment, reflecting a more playful, expressive Britain. It gave birth to ads like:<\/p>\n
BT\u2019s \u2018It\u2019s Good to Talk\u2019, which tapped into emotional connection.
Tango\u2019s \u2018You\u2019ve Been Tango\u2019d\u2019 was anarchic and unforgettable, with the title becoming an iconic part of the national lexicon.
Jaffa Cakes\u2019 \u2018Total Eclipse\u2019 played with absurdity and timing.
Budweiser\u2019s \u2018Whassup\u2019, though American, became a global cultural moment.<\/p>\n
2000s: Everyday Celebrities and Brand Characters<\/p>\n
The 2000s brought relatability and reinvention. The glamour of Hollywood celebrities was replaced with more down-to-earth choices drawing from the rising popularity of reality TV, and brand mascots made a comeback.<\/p>\n
Kerry Katona for Iceland made frozen food feel accessible.
Ant and Dec for Morrisons added charm and familiarity.
118 118\u2019s duo of men and Compare the Market\u2019s meerkats built character-led franchises.
PG Tips\u2019 monkey was reinvented with wit and nostalgia.<\/p>\n
2010s: Emotion, Purpose, and Cinematography<\/p>\n
Visual and narrative storytelling shifted to a more cinematic format, often tugging at the heartstrings and directly channelling big budget films.<\/p>\n
John Lewis Christmas ads became annual cultural events, blending storytelling with sentiment. \u2018The Long Wait\u2019 was the ad that started it all in 2011.
Channel 4\u2019s Paralympics ads challenged perceptions and redefined representation.<\/p>\n
2020s: \u2018Sadvertising\u2019, Sameness, and the Return of Distinctive, Effective Storytelling<\/p>\n
With covid-19 came a wave of \u2018sadvertising\u2019: a sea of sameness where brands reminded us we were all in this together. The use of humour consequently plummeted.<\/p>\n
Post pandemic, the 2020s have seen a resurgence of emotionally resonant, culturally relevant, and creatively distinctive TV advertising like Cadbury\u2019s \u2018There\u2019s a glass and a half in everyone\u2019 campaign, which marked a strategic pivot from joy to generosity, attracting 40 million new customers in the process.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re now seeing ads created for digital platforms, often using AI, make their way to TV. Yet the fundamentals for effective creative remain; the ads that cut through the noise in today\u2019s fight for attention are those that connect meaningfully, stand out creatively, and build brand predisposition.<\/p>\n
For Lynne, the tour of advertising\u2019s eras can tell us that \u201cwhile the world has shifted over the decades, the most fundamental rules of advertising have not.\u201d The basics remain the same year after year though how they\u2019re presented has to necessarily change to be relevant and resonant. \u201cEffective advertising connects powerfully with the audience by being personally relevant and meaningful to the audience, by being creatively distinctive and original, by evoking powerful emotional reactions so it’s remembered and of course those memories need to connect to the brand \u2013 else it\u2019s just entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the secret sauce for building predisposition to the brand and driving sales in the short and long term, whether it\u2019s 1955 or 2025.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This week, LBB is marking a very special occasion: the anniversary of the very first TV ad \u2013…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":44336,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[93,61,60,32949,32948,282],"class_list":{"0":"post-44335","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-entertainment","9":"tag-ie","10":"tag-ireland","11":"tag-kantar","12":"tag-the-eras-tour-how-advertising-evolved-since-the-first-tv-ad","13":"tag-tv"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44335\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}