The Six Million Dollar Man show debuted in 1973 on the ABC Network, based on a book series titled Cyborg. The show and its star, Lee Majors, would become a smash hit, so it was no surprise when Kenner released their toy line in early 1975. The line consisted of several figures including 3 different versions of Steve Austin. Also released were multiple accessories, playsets and vehicles, along with various non-action figure items such as Play-Doh sets, Movie Viewer, Give-A-Show Projector and more.
There were 7 figures released for the Six Million Dollar Man line during its run from 1975-1978, but 3 of them were just different versions of Steve Austin and another (Dr. Kromedome) wasn’t even made by Kenner. Still, these figures were truly iconic and a real highlight of toys produced in the 1970’s.
How do they get the figs into the Fig Rolls? This iconic advertising catchphrase has long shrouded the fig roll production process in intrigue, yet in reality, crafting these biscuits is rather straightforward.
The pastry shell of fig rolls is concocted from simple ingredients such as wheat flour, glucose syrup, and sugar, devoid of hydrogenated fat or artificial colors. The fig filling within harks back to ancient Egypt, where figs were mashed and enveloped in pastry.
In modern times, fig rolls undergo an industrial baking procedure. Initially, the pastry and fig mixtures are blended separately, then the pastry is extruded into lengthy, unfilled rolls, later to be filled with the fig crème.
Following closure, the rolls are baked in lengthy ovens. Some brands opt to slice the rolls post-baking, while Jacobs fig rolls are pre-cut before entering the oven.
Jacob’s Fig Rolls have a storied history, originating in Dublin under the Quaker firm Jacob’s, founded in Waterford in 1851. The company’s relocation to Bishop Street, Dublin in 1883 saw its peak, employing predominantly female staff. The factory played a pivotal role in the 1916 Easter Rising. Production later shifted to Tallaght in 1984, and eventually, under Valeo Foods ownership, moved beyond Ireland.
In the 1960s, Gordon Lambert spearheaded innovative marketing strategies at Jacob’s Biscuits, including the inception of the Jacob’s radio and television awards. Collaborating with Irish International, led by the dynamic Mack Kile, campaigns like the enigmatic “How do they get the figs into Fig Rolls?” captivated the public, remaining iconic even today. Lambert’s legacy endured until his retirement in 1986 and passing in 2005.
Milk Tray is a brand of boxed chocolates currently manufactured by Cadbury. Introduced by Cadbury UK in 1915, it is one of the longest running brands in the confectioner’s portfolio. Milk Tray is sold in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, New York City, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
The name ‘Tray’ derived from the way in which the original assortment was delivered to the shops. Originally Milk Tray was packed in five and a half pound boxes, arranged on trays from which it was sold loose to customers.
The pack design has been regularly updated and the assortment itself has changed in line with consumer preferences, and today it is still one of the most popular boxes of chocolates in the UK selling over 8 million boxes per annum.
From 1968 to 2003, and since 2016, the chocolate is advertised by the ‘Milk Tray Man’, a tough James Bond–style figure who undertakes daunting ‘raids’ to surreptitiously deliver a box of Milk Tray chocolates to a lady. The original tagline was And all because the lady loves Milk Tray.A YouGov poll saw them ranked the 16th most famous confectionery in the UK.
Atari Inc. had purchased an engineering think tank in 1973 called Cyan Engineering to research next-generation video game systems, and had been working on a prototype known as “Stella” (named after one of the engineers’ bicycles) for some time. Unlike prior generations of machines that used custom logic to play a small number of games, its core was a complete CPU, the famous MOS Technology 6502 in a cost-reduced version, known as the 6507. It was combined with a RAM-and-I/O chip, the MOS Technology 6532, and a display and sound chip known as the Television Interface Adapter, (TIA). The first two versions of the machine contain a fourth chip, a standard CMOS logic buffer IC, making Stella cost-effective. Some later versions of the console eliminated the buffer chip.
Programs for small computers were generally stored on cassette tape, disk or paper tape. By the early 1970s, Hewlett Packard manufactured desktop computers costing thousands of dollars such as the HP 9830, which packaged Read Only Memory (ROM) into removable cartridges to add special programming features, and these were being considered for use in games. At first, the design was not going to be cartridge-based, but after seeing a “fake” cartridge system on another machine, they realized they could place the games on cartridges essentially for the price of the connector and packaging.
The brand goes all the way back to 1768 when a Russian nobleman called Count Orlof commissioned a brand of perfume from Bayleys of Bond Street in London. The perfume was called ‘Eau de Cologne Imperiale Russe’. Russia leather was a high-quality leather exported widely from Russia and recognisable by a distinctive aroma from its birch oil tanning process. In 1921 Bayleys was acquired by Cussons Sons & Co, chaired by Alexander Tom Cussons. It was not until some years later in 1938 that Alex Cussons used the original perfume and created Cussons Imperial Leather soap and other toiletries. The soap was initially called ‘Imperiale Russian Leather’, but was soon renamed to Imperial Leather. In 1975 the Cussons Group was itself acquired by Paterson Zochonis, recently renamed to PZ Cussons.
In 1973 the popular Secret Lemonade Drinker advertising campaign was launched, devised by Rod Allen who wrote the slogan. The adverts featured the actor and mime Julian Chagrin, dubbed with the voice of Ross MacManus (father of Elvis Costello, then called Declan MacManus). MacManus wrote the song, with his son providing the backing vocals.
“1973 saw the launch of the brand’s most famous advertising campaign, ‘The Secret Lemonade Drinker’, which remained on screen until 1984. The ad featured a man in striped pyjamas creeping downstairs to raid the fridge for R Whites Lemonade. Ross MacManus (the father of singer Elvis Costello) wrote and sang the original song with his teenage son, providing backing vocals. The ad won a silver award at the 1974 International Advertising Festival.”
The lemonade drinker is often erroneously identified as John Otway, though Otway did appear in a later R. Whites advertisement in which he drank it in a phone box.
The Six Million Dollar Man show debuted in 1973 on the ABC Network, based on a book series titled Cyborg. The show and its star, Lee Majors, would become a smash hit, so it was no surprise when Kenner released their toy line in early 1975. The line consisted of several figures including 3 different versions of Steve Austin. Also released were multiple accessories, playsets and vehicles, along with various non-action figure items such as Play-Doh sets, Movie Viewer, Give-A-Show Projector and more.
Atari Inc. had purchased an engineering think tank in 1973 called Cyan Engineering to research next-generation video game systems, and had been working on a prototype known as “Stella” (named after one of the engineers’ bicycles) for some time. Unlike prior generations of machines that used custom logic to play a small number of games, its core was a complete CPU, the famous MOS Technology 6502 in a cost-reduced version, known as the 6507. It was combined with a RAM-and-I/O chip, the MOS Technology 6532, and a display and sound chip known as the Television Interface Adapter, (TIA). The first two versions of the machine contain a fourth chip, a standard CMOS logic buffer IC, making Stella cost-effective. Some later versions of the console eliminated the buffer chip.
The brand goes all the way back to 1768 when a Russian nobleman called Count Orlof commissioned a brand of perfume from Bayleys of Bond Street in London. The perfume was called ‘Eau de Cologne Imperiale Russe’. Russia leather was a high-quality leather exported widely from Russia and recognisable by a distinctive aroma from its birch oil tanning process. In 1921 Bayleys was acquired by Cussons Sons & Co, chaired by Alexander Tom Cussons. It was not until some years later in 1938 that Alex Cussons used the original perfume and created Cussons Imperial Leather soap and other toiletries. The soap was initially called ‘Imperiale Russian Leather’, but was soon renamed to Imperial Leather. In 1975 the Cussons Group was itself acquired by Paterson Zochonis, recently renamed to PZ Cussons.