The 1990s sowed the seeds of the society that we have come to know today. A nation obsessed with Oasis vs Blur, the Spice Girls and New Labour, the decade marked the true beginnings of globalisation, with Britain’s cultural osmosis with the rest of the world more evident than ever before.
Time magazine has described ‘Cool Britannia’ as “the mid-1990s celebration of youth culture in the UK” – and while the decade was a neat time capsule of Loaded covers, ladette culture and a frankly unhealthy obsession with what Britney Spears was doing next, it also heralded seismic changes that would uproot almost every aspect of our lives, with the dawn of the internet and mobile phones in particular marking a new way of living.
Despite these tech developments, the main way for people to consume media was still via traditional linear TV, making it an incredibly fertile era for advertising campaigns, with many going on to attain iconic status.
While not without its faults – a rampant lad culture and softening, but still present xenophobia inevitably left its impact on culture at the time – advertising had by now truly cast off the kitsch, glitzy veneer of the 80s in favour of a (largely) more polished approach…
Boddington’s – The Cream of Manchester (1992) BBH
Gloriously surreal and wholly unexpected, the unsuspecting viewers might assume this clip to be an for some sort perfume or luxury cosmetic product – but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Coming as part of series of ads produced by the brewery in the 1990s juxtaposing traditional advertising tropes with brash, Mancunian working-class ‘isms, these ingenious ads formed an indelible mark on the decade. Quite an achievement considering Boddington’s Bitter tastes like stagnant pondwater!
Diet Coke Break – (1994) Lowe & Partners/SMS
An unexpected global hit for the Coca-Cola Company, this ad was truly revolutionary for the time – casting a man as the object of sexual desire and placing the women in the position of power. Small-time model Lucky Vanous was propelled to stardom as a result, even starring in a sequel the following year.
Having spawned six ads in total, the creative has become ingrained in popular culture – with an entire generation associating 11:30am with a ‘Diet Coke Break’.
Not without controversy, 1997’s ‘Dispenser’ ad was pulled from the air by the Canadian government who felt ironically that it was ‘demeaning’ towards men.
Fruitella – ‘Too Juicy’ (Date unknown, but judging by the boyfriend’s curtains 1995-99)
What isn’t there to love about this abruptly chaotic work of 90s art? An ably-executed parody of Right Said Fred’s 1991 smash hit ‘I’m Too Sexy’, ‘Too Juicy’ has left an indelible mark on those who are old enough to remember it.
Initially released in 1993 with questionable production values, an undeniably superior (and much more controversial) follow-up effort hit our screens a few years later.
A young boy proceeds to sow destruction around his house whilst mouthing along to the catchy tune, variously sending his father into an epileptic fit from a guitar solo, harassing his sister as she tries to spend some alone time with her boyfriend – and as for what that mouse is doing to shock his grandmother so much, we’ll let you decide.
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Scalextric – It’s a Boy Thing (1998) Lowe Howard-Spink
Fabulously unhinged, this ad marked a change in direction for the brand as it openly targeted adult men for the first time, instead of children.
Opening to a clip of a man joyfully cradling his baby son – regaling him with all the Scalextric escapades they’ll get up to over the years, we soon realise that our protagonist has appropriated another couple’s child in the maternity ward, and that much to his chagrin, he has fathered a daughter. This one definitely wouldn’t fly in the modern climate!
Volkswagen Passat – Ruler (1998) BMP DDB
Lampooning the Germans’ famously taciturn nature, a woman’s hopes of a saucy romp are quickly dashed by raw Teutonic efficiency. Playing on the tried and tested “…or are you just pleased to see me?” gag, DDB expertly manages to communicate the manufacturer’s unwavering passion for its products through not-so-subtle slapstick comedy.
Strongly reminiscent of a prime Carry On film, this spot nonetheless succeeds perfectly in weaving a whole host of German stereotypes into a modern comic masterpiece.
Yellow Pages – Flat – (1998) AMV
Finally – no list of 90s ads would be complete without this masterful effort from AMV which sees a helpful neighbour warn a man that he has just been burgled. As he enters, he greeted to completely ransacked flat – or so it would seem.
It’s rapidly revealed that that is in fact its natural state (resembling most student flats). Luckily, he manages to locate a Yellow Pages (now trading as Google.com) to call in a cleaner. Viewers should take particular note of the Oscar-worthy ending.
