This evening’s Archive on 4 documentary was a terrific piece based around radio advertising in the UK through the ages.
Presented by, the much missed Brian Hayes, it started with ads way before LBC and Capital Radio became the first legitimate UK commercial radio stations in 1973.
Listen to it on the iPlayer, or catch the Monday afternoon repeat.
There were some great pieces of advertising that I’d never heard – commercial radio in particular is particularly bad at looking after its own heritage in my opinion. If it wasn’t for “radio anoraks” recording stuff, we’d have lost loads of early radio (and frankly, we’re probably still not saving it).
I must admit that I do always think that more “worthy” advertising messages can more easily be adapted into excellent ads – hence award winning ads for charities and passing on various prevention messages.
But have a listen.
And finally, I simply don’t believe that “Super Screen” ad is only from 2004 (surely it’d have been selling DVDs and not videos in 2004, and it’s unlikely that portable TVs would have cost 49.99 then). The RAB had it around then, because that’s when I got a copy. But it evidently dates from closer to 2000 or even earlier.