Last Friday afternoon we welcomed Dominga Devitt for A Trip Down Memory Lane, and what a nostalgic session it turned out to be. The theme this time was television advertising, and by the end of it we had covered decades of adverts, jingles and characters that most of us had not thought about in years.
The history of the television advert
Dominga took us on a tour through the history of TV advertising and how it has changed over the years. What came across most clearly was just how much the style has shifted over time, from the straightforward and rather formal early adverts to the fast, funny and often quite strange productions we see today.
It was interesting to be reminded that adverts are a record of their era as much as anything else. The products, the fashions, the voices and the music all say something about what life was like when they were made.
The ones we all remembered
This was where the afternoon really came alive. It is remarkable how much of an advert stays with you, sometimes decades after you last saw it, and how quickly it all comes flooding back.
There were plenty that everyone in the room recognised straight away, including:
- The PG Tips chimps, still one of the most fondly remembered advertising campaigns of all time
- The Smash robots and their famous laughter at the very idea of peeling potatoes by hand
- The Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut advert that nobody in the room seemed able to forget
Once one was mentioned, someone else would remember another, and off we went again.
The stories behind the adverts
What made the session so enjoyable was the conversation it sparked. One advert would lead to a story about where someone was when they first saw it, which television set the family had at the time, or which product they ended up buying because of it.
Several people remembered gathering round a single set in the front room, with the adverts marking the break in whatever the family were watching that evening. Others recalled the tunes being sung in playgrounds and workplaces for weeks afterwards. It became clear very quickly that these adverts are tied up with all sorts of other memories of home, family and everyday life.
Why sessions like this matter
Reminiscence sessions are a real favourite here, and it is easy to see why. They give everyone something familiar to talk about, they bring out stories that might not otherwise get shared and they get people chatting to one another rather than simply watching from the sidelines.
Advertising works particularly well as a subject because it is something we have all seen, whatever our background or interests. Nobody needs to be an expert to join in.
Thank you Dominga
Dominga guided us through it all beautifully and left everyone still chatting long after the session had finished, which is always the sign of a good afternoon. Thank you Dominga for such an entertaining visit, and we hope to see you again soon.