Adverts H-L

An advert for Halifax from 1991, showing a load of pound signs dancing to 'We're in the moeny'... As pound signs do!!! Ah those jolly days before Halifax's ads became such frequent winners in the site's worst ad awards.

Lots of people stack up to create a house in one of several memorable 'installation' adverts for the Halifax Building Society from the 90s.

Another Halifax advert with people coming together to make a building from 1997. This time round using the song 'Consider Yourself' from the musical Oliver!

Notorious for the number of times they won the 'Worst Ad Award' on this site at the time, in the early 2000s Halifax moved to a Marmite style of advertising featuring staff of bank branches covering pop songs. The most famous of them probably being Howard, although others would appear too. Here Yvonne McBride features in a cover of Livin La Vida Loca.

Presented in NICAM stereo, the question to ask is 'Any old iron'? From the early 90s, this advert swiftly became embedded in the memories of the British public thanks to the catchy song to accompany it.

In a sendup of Nescafe's 'will they, won't they' coffee commercials, everything is going well for the guy round for 'tea'... until he throws a ball for the dog, and they're on a high floor apartment. Time for another sharp exit...

Time for a sharp Exit.... A humourous ad featuring an interview with a former gang member, who of course has to keep his identity a secret.

Time for a cool sharp Harp.... Another laugh, this time involving a find-a-date service.

Another in the long running series of 'time for a sharp exit' adverts. This time an important lesson that whilst listening in to someone else's fight may seem like a good idea at the time, always make sure you have your keys with you!

A man goes for a haircut in this Harp Lager advert. But when he sees who's come along to do the work, it's time to make the obligatory Sharp Exit.

One of the famous 'Creature Comforts' shorts from 1990, featuring Frank the Tortoise. Keen to find a new way to promote electric heating in the early 90s, the electricity board had turned to Nick Park of Aardman. Park had developed the short film 'Creature Comforts' earlier as part of a Channel 4 series, which had gone on to win an Academy Award. The Heat Electric advert commission took the concept of this, namely off-the-cuff-sounding voxpops set to claymation animals, and adapted this to promote the heating. The Creature Comforts campaign was fondly remembered for many years, with the idea being turned into a full series in 2003.

And now we have a load of Heineken adverts throughout the years. Heineken deserve the award for making consistently funny adverts, for god only knows how many years. This one is from 1990.

A loud man on his mobile phone causes some disruption at the bar. At least until a phonebox drops in, in another from the 'Only Heineken Can Do This' campaign.

Not really managing to get into the right frame of mind to play the blues? Follow this invaluable lesson courtesy of Heineken.

The follow on advert to the first 1992 ad and suddenly blues man is getting signed up for a lucrative record contract. Was it always intended to be produced, or had some advertising executives suddenly realised having their previous ad run with the message 'drink Heineken and your life will fall apart in an instant' mightn't have been the best marketing angle in the world?

Binmen making a very quiet morning round for another How Refreshing, How Heineken advert campaign.

Heineken did it once again in 2001, and produced some of the funniest adverts of the year! In total there were four of them, with more 'celebrities' being added in each one starting off with the late Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee. Presented now are the 1st, 2nd and 4th ones.

Two more people were added alongside Paul Daniels and Debbie in the second version.

In the last version, the collection of celebrities is fed to a pack of lions - oh joy!! What with Jimmy Saville in the background, I think it's safe to say we'll never see this campaign aired again!

An old advert for Heinz Baked Beans with the famous 'Beanz Meanz Heinz' slogan. This slogan disappeared from the Heinz ads during the 90s. Despite that, it was revived for a marketing campaign by Heinz asking people to text them to vote whether they should keep the slogan they'd already quietly dropped years earlier. The eventual outcome of this was that the beans were renamed Heinz Beanz on a permanent basis in 2008.

David Bellamy appears in this Heinz Baked Beans ad from 1989, showing him being handed beans by his mother in various locations as he grows up.

It's one thing your dog being a bit flat. But you'd not want that it for your lunch. Luckily Hellmann's has you sorted!

Comedian Griff Rhys Jones appears in one of several Holsten Pils where he is added to classic movie footage for humourous effect. Here, he's come to fix the plumbing...

One of a long running series of ads for Holsten Pils starring Jeff Goldblum, in days before Jurassic Park and Independence Day. Still with a vaguely festive feel to it this time around, as this airing dates from very early into January 1991.

Jeff Goldblum again with a lot of flowers for another Holsten Pils advert in 1992.

Remember, ladies! Ah the early 90s - when casual stereotypes were still perfectly fine in advertising.

A few more years into the 90s for Homepride, and thankfully men now do the cooking and the stereotyped characters have been phased out.

One of many inspirational Honda adverts from the 2000s. At this time diesel engines were still seen as something to advertise to the end consumer as the way forward.

Another colourful animated character from the Kelloggs heyday of children-oriented mascots features, as Loopy Bee cheerfully advertises Honey Nut Loops.

An animated ad from 2004 for Hovis; things have come a long way from kids cycling up hills on a bike.

Eels and a group in a Chinese restaurant remind us of the importance of local knowledge in this HSBC advert from 2003. The banking brand having firmly replaced Midland Bank by this point.

In the closing days of 1987, a young Jonathan Ross promotes the IBA Radio and Television Yearbook for 1988. The IBA were essentially the independent television and radio broadcaster throughout the 70s and 80s holding ultimate responsibility for the entire sector which they would then contract out further to the ITV companies.

From the same puppet that brought satirical show Spitting Image to the screens came a long running series of commercials for I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. This time round with the cows telling us to lighten up.

The Spitting Image cows return in another I Can't Believe It's Not Butter advert in 1999. Here raising their complaints about adverts for the spread.

One of many well remembered ads for furniture giant IKEA. In a mammoth advert from 1997, we take a look at what a definitely-scientific survey has found different furniture says about the individuals who own it.

Paul Merton acts as the face of Imperial Leather in 1994, here promoting their antiperspirant range with a film crew and a bus.

Taking a lighthearted shot at Coke adverts of the era, Irn Bru bring their own advert for the early 90s. Promoting the drink as Made In Scotland From Girders.

An entertaining/warped (delete as applicable) ad for Irn Bru in 2002, with a woman giving birth. Don't worry, that Irn Bru will help... or will it?

With subscriptions to the On Digital service not taking off as hoped, the service was rebranded as ITV Digital in 2001 with the hope of the stronger 'ITV' brand giving it a boost. At the same time a famous advertising double act in the form of dimwitted Al (played by Johnny Vegas) and the knitted puppet Monkey (voiced by Ben Miller) were introduced, created by advertising agency Mother. Despite the characters being popular and well remembered, they were not enough to reverse the fortunes of the ITV Digital service, with it collapsing into administration in 2002. Here a Christmas special of one of the many spots produced during the shortlived campaign, where Al has come up with some brilliant ideas in the middle of the night.

A non-festive ITV Digital advert from August 2001. This time extolling the virtues of their add-on 'Internet through the telly' service ITV Active.

Those Munchkins are always trying to munch your McVities Jaffa Cakes, as we're told in this 1983 ad.

Jack Dee in a John Smiths ad from 1997, with no gimmicks, no jokes and no penguins.

A short advert spoofing the famous Diet Coke break advert of the early 90s, this time to promote John Smiths Extra Smooth bitter.

Englebert Humperdinck in this ad for John Smiths... No nonsense!

John West endure the worst, namely an annoying guy playing music, to bring you the best!

Billy Connolly appears in 1990 talking about his ball control. All to promote the alcohol-free lager Kaliber.

Kelloggs welcome in the new millennium with a general advert for a bunch of their cereals.

Celebrating 25 years of KFC in the UK in 1991, with a special offer meal from the Colonel.

John Virgo stars in this 1992 advert for KFC (still titled Kentucky Fried Chicken at this point), promoting their new Hot Shots range.

In a follow up to their original animated ad from earlier in the 80s, we all still adore a Kia Ora... albeit now you don't even need water!

Smith and Jones as you've (probably) never seen them before.

Think 'Men Behaving Badly' for this Kitekat advert from 1998.

A humourous ad for KitKat in 1986. The Cold War was coming to an end yet little progress was being made. This ad combines that along with the fact that politicians are generally pointless and stubborn.

Two people finding the ideal time to have another break with KitKat here as we can all enjoy reliving the giant mobile phones still in use by the mid-90s.

Elvis isn't dead. He's hiding away somewhere eating Kitkats!

If you were at any risk of forgetting its the 80s here, garish graphics and music are here to remind you in an ad for KP nuts.

Set to the song Goodnight Sweetheart by The Spaniels, Lemsip promote their new nighttime remedy in 1992.

Why smaller sometimes means better (an argument I have tried to make on many occasions). Indeed they could almost have labelled the new bottle of Lenor 'Fun Size'.

The Lion King - One of my favourite films of all time (behind Watership Down of course). This is an advert for its release on video.

A seemingly normal, quiet town centre... until you realise they've all been ravaged by a Liquorice Allsorts habit!

I know it's the wrong place in the alphabet for this, but I decided to plonk this funny little 2003 ad for Jelly Babies here as it contains a modern-day Bertie.

In a well-remembered animated advert from the early 90s, Clifford the dragon has a problem with his breath... namely that he cant talk to birds without roasting them with it. Thankfully, Listerine to the rescue

Better times for the Little Chef chain in the mid-90s, as it was still a well known force in the service station market. Via various buyouts and mergers, the chain grew throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s, even ending up a part of the Granada empire in the late 90s. However the 2000s were less kind. With the chain failing to modernise and losing the interest of their family audience, store numbers contracted and the group fell into administration more than once. Even a last ditch attempt to revive affairs with Heston Blumenthal wasn't enough, with the last remnants of the original chain disappearing in 2018.

This is one of several 'Tales of The Black Horse' ads, ran in the early nineties. In this one, a brave knight needs help getting a bigger place, so gets a mortgage from Lloyds Bank... happens all the time doesn't it!!

The Lightning Loot - Another Tales of the Black Horse ad. A giant wants to buy a new cart from the local salesman, but is a little short on funds at the moment. Never fear, as the nearby Lloyds Bank branch can approve a personal loan on the spot. They apparently don't even mind if you demolish the branch in the process of applying, although I remain less convinced about this detail.

Another Tale of The Black Horse, and this time it's the legend of The Four Rings. A dying king sets a riddle for his two daughters which will lead them to untold riches.

Another 'Tales of The Black Horse' story from the Medieval Lloyds Bank campaign of the 90s, this time entitled 'The Unfounded Fear'. A local couple receive a letter from their bank manager that he'd like to see them. Cue visions of what horrors this may entail...

An extended ad marking the dawn of the new millennium from Lloyds TSB, as it was then known. After thanking all of their staff and their families for all their hard work over the previous year with behind the scenes filming footage from their latest commercial, it then launches into the new commercial itself. With the song 'What Can I Do' from The Coors providing the backing.

Initially after the demerger of Lloyds TSB, the new bank of the Black Horse got the short end of the stick advertising-wise. Whilst TSB got beautiful artistic animation with Patrick Stewart narrating, Lloyds plumped for a series of less than inspired slideshow-style ads. In 2015 however to celebrate their 250th anniversary, the bank saw a return to form with the quality of its advertising. A long and heavily artistic trailer featuring black horses throughout the ages was put together, set to the song Wings by Birdy. The ad was used throughout 2015 and into 2016 for their birthday year in long form, then briefly disappeared for a new campaign before reappearing in a shorter re-edited form later in 2016.

An animated Santa hearing about the unbelievable Lunn Poly deals at the end of 1992. One of a long running series of adverts for Lunn Poly featuring the tagline 'Get Away'. This particular short advert would reappear yearly from the mid 80s through to the mid 90s.

Victoria Principal, best known at the time for her role in Dallas, stars in this advert for Lux Soap from 1984. Because why not pick a soap star to advertise some soap!

An example of the quality of some early CGI animation appears in this advert for Irish brand Lyons Tea from 1992. The decaffeinated version nonetheless!