Friday 28th August 2015

The British Leyland range: PH Ad Break

"British Leyland peddling their lies and rotting cars in a TV advert" says the video poster...

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Today car adverts are about subliminal messages, implying how superior the products are through moody lighting, slick editing or perhaps a lease deal. Very seldom are truly brazen adverts declaring brilliance seen, largely because we're more cynical about those sort of claims today. But nostalgia is always good fun, so let's have a look.

The video description says this is from 1975 but a few commenters suggest it may be later in the 70s due to the appearance of a Rover 3500 and Jaguar XJ-S. Whatever, it's a gloriously old-fashioned advert of arrogance from BL that won't fail to raise a smile.

There's a 'Frenchman' - you'll understand why when you hear him - stating how brilliant his Allegro is, the mandatory posh Rover customer and two old dears driving very slowly in a Triumph. So many stereotypes in just 60 seconds! There's even a cheesy musical strapline - 'Great cars and a great deal more' - to boost the kitsch appeal yet further. Anyone else quite fancy an early XJ-S?

Watch the advert here.

[smellypoo]

Possibly '76 or '77 - as the tax disc on the old dears' Triumph reads APR 77...

They certainly don't make adverts like this anymore. That said, I was born around this time so what do I know - it'd all changed to 'Take My Breath Away' by Berlin for the Peugeot 405 as one of the earliest adverts I can remember...