Film & TV Database

Cleaning, shopping and cooking as revealed through TV advertising over the past 35 years, and the image of the "good wife".

[work in progress] DOCUMENTARY. Part one of a series on the history of advertising on British television: the housewife as depicted in commercials. Note: Each advertisement is credited on the top of the screen by its product, title (where one exists) and agency, with the year given on the bottom of the screen. These details are given in that order below. Some advertisements are shown in full, or mostly so; most are shown in extract form only; a few appear in montages only. The clips are intercut by comments from representatives of the advertising industry and academics. Timings are usually given for those advertisements given in full only, and at the end of each titled section of the programme. * = items in colour Title - "The Goodwife in Advertising": PERSIL - WOMAN ALONE - JWT - 1959 Complete: Housewife waits contentedly at home while husband is at work and children at school, wearing clothes washed by Persil. "Persil washes even whiter!" (1.07-1.49) PERSIL - COMING HOME - JWT - 1961 Extract: Housewife puts clothes in washing machine. PERSIL - MOTHER CARES - JWT 1959 Extract: Housewife says goodbye to schoolchild. PERSIL - LOVE STARTS AT HOME - JWT - 1959 Extract: Housewife looks over sleeping children. PERSIL - SHIRLEY WILSON - JWT - 1959 Extract: Housewife watches husband and children going out. PERSIL - GIRL - JWT - 1964 PERSIL - COMING HOME - JWT - 1961 PERSIL - PUPPY - JWT - 1960 PERSIL - MOTORBIKE - JWT - 1961 PERSIL - SKIPPING - JWT - 1963 Montage: The above adverts used for montage of housewives looking out of windows. PERSIL - CARDS - JWT - 1960 Extract: Parents look on contentedly as child builds house of cards. PERSIL - LAURA DAVIS - JWT -1961 Extract: Soundtrack states that this housewife may feel that she leads a humdrum life, but she doesn't. KELLOGG'S CORNFLAKES - EXECUTIVE - JWT - 1956 Complete: A man goes to work without his wife having prepared him a full breakfast, and he performs badly; after a bowl of Kellogg's Cornflakes he shines at work. "Start Your Day the Kellogg's Way". (4.28-5.21) PERSIL - SCHOOL SATCHEL - JWT - 1963 Extract: One woman looks critically at another whose child is going to school. BIRD'S EYE - LINTAS - c.1958 Extract: "Stop at the Bird's Eye Shop". Housewife buys frozen plaice fillets and thinks they're a wonderful idea. PERSIL - WARRINGTON FACTORY - JWT - 1956 Extract: Women going to work at a factory. BIRD'S EYE PIES - LINTAS - 1958 Extract: Housewife prepares and recommends frozen food for when both husband and wife go out to work. BIRD'S EYE - LINTAS - c.1958 Extract: Husband looks contentedly at cooked food. COOKEEN - LINTAS - c.1955 Complete: Animated film showing a bride worried that her cooking will be poor, but a plump fairy shows what Cookeen will do for her. (7.17-7.37) VIOTA - OVERMARK SMITH - 1969 Extract: Man recommends Viota cake mix, with examples of cakes baked using it. LION EGGS - McCANN ERICKSON - c.1966 Extract: Adding an egg to cake mix. BISTO - MASIUS & FERGUSON - c.1956 Extract: Mother whirls round to dinner table with gravy boat. KRAFT DAIRYLEA - FUZZY WUZZIES - JWT - 1956 Complete: A tip on how to brighten up the look of sandwiches using Dairylea cheese spread to make 'Fuzzy Wuzzies'. (8.45-9.23) KRAFT DELUX CHEESE SLICES - SUNSHINE SUSIES - JWT - 1955 Extract: Recipe tip showing cheese slices on pineapple toasted and topped with chutney to make 'Sunshine Susies'. FLASH - YOUNG & RUBICAM - 1958 Extract: Hard-working housewives clean the kitchen floor. (9.59) Title - "The Goodwife & Her Housework": PURITAN - MERTHYR TYDFIL - LINTAS - 1961 Complete: "Meet a Puritan Proud Housewife". Mrs Nash of Merthyr Tydfil says that Puritan soap, with elbow grease, gets the best results. (9.59-10.21) PURITAN - BRISTOL - LINTAS - c.1963 Extract: Housewife hard at work cleaning. HOOVER - MASIUS & FERGUSON - c.1959 Extract: Housewife hard at work cleaning. PURITAN - LINTAS - c.1960 Complete: Housewife dances on stage-set kitchen floor to jazzy music and bears a large packet of Puritan soap because she cleans her kitchen the modern way. "The Modern Home Soap". (10.28-10.55) QUIX - LINTAS - c.1958 Extract: "Good News for Women". A large bottle of Quix washing-up liquid. VIM - 5 WAYS BETTER - LINTAS - c.1959 Complete: "New Blue Vim 5 Ways Better". Assorted housewives recommend it because it is kind to hands, contains germicide, lathers instantly, contains bleach, has a lovely smell, a cheerful canister, and is easy to open. (11.05-12.04) DAZ - WHITE VANS MASS TEST - YOUNG & RUBICAM - 1966 Extract: Women in field wave white sheets. DAZ - GOOD MORNING - YOUNG & RUBICAM - c.1957 Montage: Starts off sound montage of voices acclaiming whiteness. RINSO - SUNGLASSES - LINTAS - c.1965 Exatract: Two women need sunglasses because the washing is so bright. DAZ - WHITE JUMPER - YOUNG & RUBICAM - c.1963 Extract: Man asks if you are happy with the whiteness of your wash. SURF - FACTORY - LINTAS c.1958 Extract: Mother and daughter inspect a white sheet. SURF - LINTAS - c.1959 Extract: Elderly woman lays down some white towels. FLASH - HOUSEMAID - YOUNG & RUBICAM - 1964 Extract: Mop plunged into bucket. HOOVER - MASIUS & FERGUSON - c.1959 Extract: Animated germs are sucked by a Hoover. LUVIL - UNDERWATER ARMY - LINTAS - c.1963 Extract: Dirt spills on sponge. LUVIL - BACK AGAIN STAINS - LINTAS - c.1963 Extract: Washing stains float away to the sound of eerie music. DOT - WHEREVER - LINTAS - 1969 Extract: A spray of Dot toiler cleaner. DOT - LINTAS - c.1964 Complete: Housewife does the job she likes to do least but knows she must, cleaning the toilet with Dot. "The most important cleaning job of the day". (15.33-15.52) HARPIC - VOXPOP - JWT - c.1962 Extract: Various women in the street say what they expect a toilet cleaner to do. (16.04-16.19) DOMESTOS - YOUR CHILDREN LOOK UP TO YOU - LINTAS - 1965 DOMESTOS - ONCE HE'S OLD ENOUGH - LINTAS - 1965 DOMESTOS - VESSEL TEST 3 REVISED - LINTAS - 1968 Montage: Above adverts used in montage of Domestos being poured into unseen toilet bowl. DOMESTOS - SOLILOQUY - LINTAS - 1965 Extract: Woman pours Domestos into unseen toilet bowl. JEYES - NO HIDING PLACE - ABM - 1980 * Extract: Camera viewpoint from inside toilet bowl. DOMESTOS - CREEPING DIRT - 1967 Extract: Discoloured waters with horror film-style music and commentary by Orson Welles. A bottle of Domestos appears. "Domestos kills all known germs dead". (17.48-18.07) HOOVER JUNIOR - AGENCY UNKNOWN - c.1968 Complete: A drill sergeant presents the new Hoover Junior, and a line of women push their vacuum cleaners along the floor in formation. (18.07-18.30). HOOVERMATIC - MASIUS & FERGUSON - c.1961 Extract: Confused couple reject newspaper ads and go to the Hoover shop. PERSIL - SERVIS HOT WATER - JWT - c.1963 Extract: Saleswoman demonstrates washing machine to wife while husband looks on. HOOVER - SRICTLY FOR HUSBANDS - MASIUS & FERGUSON - c.1961 Extract: The woman is his life is happy because she has a new Hoover spinner rinse. HOOVERMATIC - MASIUS & FERGUSON - c.1961 Extract: Couple looked pleased with the results from their new washing machine. HOOVER - MASIUS & FERGUSON - c.1962 Extract: Her hand toys with his as she asks him to buy a washing machine. PERSIL - SUCCESS STORY - JWT - 1958 Extract: Woman lifts clothes out of top-loader washing machine. PERSIL - WASHING MACHINE WORLD - JWT - 1967 Extract: An array of washing machines. HOOVER - MASIUS & FERGUSON - 1961 Complete: Women whsiper to each other about the end of washday with the arrival of the Automated Hoover Keymatic, which slides towards the camera. (19.58-20.15) HOOVER - MASIUS & FERGUSON - c.1962 Extract: Herbert Hoover introduces himself. (20.23) Title - "How to Address the Goodwife": PERSIL - HOOVERMATIC FACTORY - JWT - 1961 Extract: Expert on washing machines recommends Persil. ALKA SELTZER - LONDON PRESS EXCHANGE - c.1956 Montage: Expert says Alka Seltzer overcomes that under-the-weather feeling. RINSO - LINTAS - c.1958 Montage: Experts says Rinso protects your washing machine. COOKEEN - LINTAS - c.1958 Montage: Expert has some really good news. PERSIL - HOOVERMATIC FACTORY - JWT - 1961 Montage: Further expert comment. PERSIL - RAGLAN IN DOVER - JWT - 1964 Montage: Robert Raglan recommends Persil. COOKEEN - LINTAS - c.1958 Montage: Expert says that Cookeen gives you a golden touch. BIRDS EYE RANGE - LINTAS - c.1957 Montage: Expert recommendation. VIM/RINSO - LINTAS - c.1958 Montage: Expert recommendation. BIRDS EYE RANGE - LINTAS - c.1957 Extract: Expert talks to camera but the two housewives make their own comments. (21.24-21.52) SURF - LINTAS - c.1963 Extract: Expert stands aside to show Jane and Jill in kitchen as one recommends Surf. "Better value - best there is". Narration refers to "Two tarts in the kitchen" style of advertisement. (21.52-22.17) FLASH - YOUNG & RUBICAM - 1959 RINSO - LINTAS - c.1957 SUPER AJAX - DISHWASHER - JWT - c.1961 Extracts: Intercut scenes from these three adverts, featuring one neighbour showing another Flash, a mother and daughter discussing Rinso and their washing machines, and a woman with Super Ajax lightning flashes in her kitchen. Ends with freeze-fame of one actress unable to keep a straight face. (23.03-23.56) DANISH - AGENCY UNKNOWN - c.1968 Extract: Two comic women walk down high street discussing Danish meat. CREDA - QUEUE 2 - DOYLE DANE BERNBACH - 1972 * Extract: One woman shows the other her wash in parodic fashion. PG TIPS - WASHING UP - McCANN ERICKSON - 1983 * Extract: Two chimpanzees dressed as women in a parody advert. TOFFEE CRISP - OGILVY & MATHER - c.1973 * Extract: Two women discover the "hidden power" of Toffee Crisp. Parodic style. DAZ - YOUNG & RUBICAM - c.1973 * Extract: Friendly neighbour drops in on hassled housewife [Anna Wing] and recommends Daz; on her return Daz has done the trick. (24.41-25.14) ARIEL - WCT SHADOWS - SAATCHI & SAATCHI - 1986 * Extract: One woman shows a child shadows on the washing while another shows her the shadows of dirt and recommends Ariel. CLYNOL - LINTAS - c.1959 Extract: Woman's face in mirror. HOVIS - AGENCY UNKNOWN - c.1968 Extract: Happy, light-headed wife gives husband Hovis for breakfast. (26.42-27.00) VESTA - LINTAS - 1969 Extract: Dim wife will never learn how to use chopsticks, but in a way she's rather glad. KLEENEX KITCHEN TOWELS - 2 BABIES - MASIUS WYNNE-WILLIAMS - 1966 Extract: Slogan "Double Thick". FLASH - FILM ACTOR - YOUNG & RUBICAM - 1974 * DELSEY - AGENCY UNKNOWN - c.1960 BOURNEVILLE CHOCOLATE - LEO BURNETT - 1969 WOODPECKER CIDER - DORLAND ADVERTISING LTD - c.1968 COURAGE - MASIUS WYNNE-WILLIAMS - c.1968 WHITWORTHS - MASIUS WYNNE-WILLIAMS - 1967 DULUX - FCB - 1969 WHITWORTHS - MASIUS WYNNE-WILLIAMS - 1970 * Montage: All the above and further unidentified images featured in montage of 'bimbo' actresses in adverts. (27.22-27.41) Note: BITC. Programme title = olgivy (28.04)