The History of TV adverts showing how social and cultural changes have occurred due to advertising on the television

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The History of TV adverts showing how social and cultural changes have occurred due to advertising on the television

For the very first time, commercial television was coming to Britain with Associated Rediffusion operating the Monday to Friday contract and Associated Television operating the Saturday and Sunday contract. As I said, commercials were seen in Britain for the first time, and the very first one at 8.12 p.m. was for Gibbs SR toothpaste. "It's tingling fresh. It's Gibbs SR toothpaste". The commercial was voiced by Alex Mackintosh over a block of SR in ice, surrounded by 400 gallons of water siphoned from the gents toilet in the Pathe studios in Wardour Street and Meg Smith brushing her teeth. (But what was she doing in a gent's toilet brushing her teeth? Was the ladies toilet closed?) You could say that the initials SR stood for the company that originally transmitted it. 'Sociated Rediffusion! Other advertisers on day one included Guinness, Batchelor's Peas, Brillo, Cadbury's Crosse and Blackwell, Dunlop Rubber, Esso, Ford, Remington Rand, Shredded Wheat, Surf, Watney's, National Benzole, Kraft Cheese, Woman magazine, Coty, Brown and Polson, Express Dairy, Crompton Lamps, Summer County margarine, Ecko radio and television sets and Oxo (a couple of years before the Oxo family first arrived). It cost £975 for one minute and £650 for half a minute's advertising on Associated Rediffusion, while Associated Television were cheaper with £950 a minute and £633 for half a minute. Towards the end of 1955, two long running advertising campaigns began. Murray Mints were too good to hurry mints, and Kellogg's Rice Krispies were full of snap, crackle and pop for the first time. ITV was only available in the London area, but it was less than six months before ITV began in the Midlands, and nine months before ITV started in the North. Here is a look at what was on television back in 1955:

BBC TELEVISION had in the slot that is now used for national and regional news programs, two hours of children's television. I suppose that it was a way to get them to go to bed and sleep much earlier. The news was twenty minutes long, and was situated after the children's television programs at 7.00 p.m. On ITV’s opening night, the BBC had THE DONALD DUCK STORY, which told the story of one of Walt Disney's best-loved cartoon characters. End of the day marked with newsreel and closedown.

ITV started life at 7.15 p.m. on Thursday, September 22nd 1955. The first programs were just preparations for the opening ceremony at the Guildhall, followed by the inaugural speeches by the Lord Mayor, the Postmaster General, and the chairman of the Independent Television Authority, Sir Kenneth Clark at 7.45 p.m. While ITV’s opening night had excerpts from THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ERNEST, by Oscar Wilde, with Dame Edith Evans, Margaret Leighton and Sir John Gielgud, as well as SAKI with Pamela Brown, Alec Guinness and Faith Brook, and PRIVATE LIVES with by Noel Coward, with Kay Hammond and John Clements. Throughout the autumn of 1955, the top watched programs were I LOVE LUCY, THEATRE ROYAL, and THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, starring Richard Greene. The very first boxing match on ITV saw Terence Murphy against Lew Lazar. There was NEWS AT TEN on the very first night, but this was only 15 minutes long. This new television channel was the shape of things to come for both the television companies and the advertisers.

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For the very first time on television people were seeing images on television boxes of people who they were expected to be like. This is very true to the time with women being at home either doing the cooking or cleaning. In the very first adverts the technology used was not particular good compared to the standards of today life, which shows how modern day life has helped the technological advances though out the years. Families on the television where portrayed as outstanding citizens wearing there best clothes at dinner time with the children being courteous to what ever the ...

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