1970s Imperial Leather – Tahiti Looks Nice

leatherThe 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.

1982 Aero

aero-sliceThe process of manufacture was patented in 1935 by Rowntree’s.  Registration of the trademark and manufacture to market started soon after.

In 1935, Rowntree’s launched Aero into the UK, followed by the mint variation in the 1970s. Wrapping was brown (green in the mint version) and displayed the “Rowntree’s” script logo and the large word “AERO”, along with the slogan “Hold on tight or I’ll fly away!” below the “AERO” name. The words “Aerated Milk Chocolate” (“Aerated Milk-Mint Chocolate” for the mint version) were seen multiple times in the word “AERO.” In the 1970s, an advertisement was aired in which kids flying a kite thought the kite was an Aero bar. Then, brown and white bubbles would fly out of the imaginary bar to form the Aero wrapper. In 1988, Rowntree Mackintosh (as it then was, having merged with Mackintosh’s in the 1960s) was losing money and was sold to Swiss company Nestlé, who was already famous for its own Nesquik flavoured milkshakes and Milkybar white chocolate bars. Nestle continue to manufacture many former Rowntree bars and products, and until 1993 several chocolate products continued to use the Rowntree/Rowntree Mackintosh brand name. Since then only the sugar confectionery bears the old Rowntree name (Fruit Pastilles, Fruit Gums, and so on).

Info gleaned from Wikipedia

1980s Kit Kat Dancing Pandas

KitKatUse of the name “Kit Kat” or “Kit Cat” for a type of food goes back to the 18th Century, when mutton pies known as a Kit-Kat were served at meetings of the political Kit-Cat Club in London.

The origins of what is now known as the “Kit Kat” brand go back to 1911, when Rowntree’s, a confectionery company based in York in the United Kingdom, trademarked the terms “Kit Cat” and “Kit Kat”. Although the terms were not immediately utilised, the first conception of the Kit Kat appeared in the 1920s, when Rowntree launched a brand of boxed chocolates entitled “Kit Cat”. This continued into the 1930s, when Rowntree’s shifted focus and production onto its “Black Magic” and “Dairy Box” brands. With the promotion of alternative products the “Kit Cat” brand decreased and was eventually discontinued.   The original four-finger bar was developed after a worker at Rowntree’s York Factory put a suggestion in a recommendation box for a snack that “a man could take to work in his pack”.[3] The bar launched on 29 August 1935, under the title of “Rowntree’s Chocolate Crisp” (priced at 2d), and was sold in London and throughout Southern England.

Info gleaned from Wikipedia

1973 – R Whites Lemonade (Secret Lemonade Drinker)

Secret lemonade drinkerIn 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.

Info gleaned from Wikipedia

1982 Quinnsworth (Darth Vader)

quinsworth busQuinnsworth was founded by Pat Quinn in 1966 and was sold to Powers Supermarkets Limited in the 1970s. During the 1970s, the slogan used was “Let’s get it all together at Quinnsworth”. Powers Supermarkets Limited was the parent company, but used Quinnsworth as its marketing name. The company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Associated British Foods plc. And run by supermarket executive Don Tidey. In Quinnsworth’s final years, Yellow Pack was replaced by Premium Choice as the own brand. Quinnsworth was remembered for its advertising campaigns featuring its marketing director Maurice Pratt (later became chief executive of Tesco Ireland), who would personally introduce new product promotions, ending each advert with the company slogan, “That’s Real Value”.

Info gleaned from Wikipedia