Commercial breaks were once a highlight of television, with iconic adverts becoming part of everyday life. However, many 90s and 2000s campaigns would be deemed unacceptable today due to changing social norms and sensitivities.
One notorious example is the Tango ad featuring a bald orange man slapping people, which was pulled after sparking a 'happy slapping' craze in playgrounds. A later version replaced the slap with a kiss. Similarly, the Pot Noodle ads from Cardiff comedian Peter Baynham, where 'Terry from Ponty' insisted the snack was 'too gorgeous', became a student cult hit but might now be seen as promoting unhealthy eating.
Other ads relied on stereotypes or questionable humour. The Irn-Bru campaign featured a Scotsman in a kilt singing 'Hoots mon! There's jooce loose aboot this hoose' with dancing bagpipes, while the Safestyle Windows ad showed a man in Victorian dress kicking over PVC frames and shouting about buy-one-get-one-free offers.
Some adverts were simply annoying, like the 'If you like a lot of chocolate on your biscuit' jingle for a chocolate biscuit bar, which became an earworm. The Carling Black Label ad with the song 'Choo' also left a bad taste.
On the positive side, the Renault Clio ads featuring French model Estelle Skornik charmed viewers, and the Levi's jeans campaign with Babylon Zoo's 'Spaceman' became a hit. The Guinness 'Surfer' ad, with giant horses emerging from waves, raised the bar for visual storytelling.
These adverts defined an era, but many would not pass today's standards for taste, safety, and inclusivity.
