The PG Tips Monkey Has Been Replaced... | Some Boi Online

The PG Tips Monkey is the latest victim of corporate advertising, as the brand strives to make "progress" by retiring its "outdated" mascots, in favour of a new campaign that apparently caters to "modern audiences"...
Subscribe for more content like this:
/ @someboionline
Twitter:
/ someboionlineyt
Instagram:
/ someboionlineyt
#PGTips #ItsNotJustTeaItsProgress
Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

[@Thenesrookie]

You know a channel is entertaining, when you can sit and watch a guy talk about tea for 25 minutes 😅

[@SomeBoiOnline]

Really appreciate that 😂

[@TheMostBritishBrit]

I mean I just really like tea lol

[@Pokewho-6475]

With the one star result music from Wii fit 😂🤣😂😂

[@SomeBoiOnline]

Well spotted 🤣

[@EggManJoe420]

Welcome to Britain mate.

[@JesusMartinez-rr2ry]

I absolutely despise it whenever corporate decisions destroy the personality of brands, leaving nothing but a hollow husk if its former self.

[@SomeBoiOnline]

Just soulless isn't it? Like Disney absorbing other companies to essentially eradicate the competition.

[@Venemofthe888]

It's like when the argos aliens were replaced and the follow up ad was just bright noise

[@THEADVENTURESOFKEVINTHECARROT]

​@@Venemofthe888exactly and the Churchill dog, they turned the Churchill nodding dog into a damn CGI dog. What's happened to all these good adverts!

[@alexmacleod3728]

​@@Venemofthe888 The Only Creative and Funny Advert that is still standing is Compare the Meerkats

[@alexmacleod3728]

In the New Batch of Ads Alexander has a Australian Nephew

[@Ava-ui1wk]

Ironically, they spent £12 million making the most forgettable ad which fades into the mass of corporate, sterilised, out of touch advertisements being made today.

[@kenricnarbrough8191]

That's the price of progressiveness, live with it bigot!!!!!11!!1!

[@wallemo1835]

what i wanna know is how much of that money was spent on the actual production of the advert, and how much was spent on the actor and director who ive never even heard of before cause i can guarantee that over 95% of the budget most likely went to the people rather than the production itself.

[@loading4045]

Has to be money laundering

[@DankEngine2005]

The “it’s not just tea, it’s progress” line sounds depressing and dystopian as fuck

[@SomeBoiOnline]

Compared to "It's the taste", which was used for decades and actually referred to the tea bags they were selling.

[@joshslater2426]

I’ll have to agree. It makes it sound like the monkey was old fashioned and outdated, rather than a memorable marketing strategy.

[@DankEngine2005]

@@joshslater2426 Given that Monkey is owned by Comic Relief, perhaps he could jump ship to another company and advertise something else? Imagine if he went back to ITV and started making ads about TV again. “ITVX? Been a while since I watched something like this.”

[@L-iv6lx]

@@joshslater2426 it sounds like they're justifying the destruction of the amazon or something

[@TheCrimsonFist501]

Until I found out it was in the video, I thought people were quoting Lord Cutler Beckett

[@ALifeOfWine]

Yorkshire Tea should make an antagonistic advert to this. Just a guy watching the end of the PG Tips advert, turning off the TV and saying "What kind of bollocks is this, I need a cuppa", and angrily walking off to the kitchen as the camera pans across to stop on the better brand of tea next to the kettle. Slogan is "Cut the crap, cop a cuppa".

[@drd6416]

I'd buy into that. Patrick Stewart ftw

[@theteaman3357]

Me dad were a tea bag and me mum was a man. I endorse this message.

[@twilliamspro]

Yorkshire Tea could Adopt Munkeh

[@Jpow5734]

Obviously I don’t know who you are but I find it hilarious that some random person on KZbin can come up with a better concept for an advert than a supposed award winning film director 😂

[@Zyugo]

Get the Spiffing Brit.

[@Benji_transport_vids]

This is what I hate the most. They not only stopped an integral British character but also deleted everything from their socials about their past. The warm comfort of the old ads thrown away for corporate slop.

[@SomeBoiOnline]

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[@SamuelBlack84]

It sounds as though they're ashamed of it

[@markwright3161]

@@SamuelBlack84 Ashamed of not being able to match it.

[@cyberleaderandy1]

​@@SamuelBlack84 i bet they are so woke they are ashamed but what they did looks worse. Its insane.

[@darrens3]

But is was all corporate slop. We've only projected qualities onto these products of consumption because the marketing wanted us to do that. It imbued these things with qualities they never had to begin with. And the next generation will do exactly the same thing with whatever they marketing thing they propose next. The people that grew up in the Edwardian era said the same about their painted tea tins when comparing them to the 1930s radio ads, and the people that grew up with the 1930s radio ads said the same thing about the 1950s/60 tv ads. We've all got collective consumerist Alzheimer's.

[@VectorTracker]

It feels like contestants from the Apprentice made this advert 😂

[@jamzgamez3368]

nah even they would do a better job

[@erroroccurred404]

“It’s not just tea, it’s progress.” It’s not just rebranding, it’s a corporate sham.

[@stellviahohenheim]

How is it progress when they replace a monkey with a black man?

[@davidherron9151]

Do you remember what the adverts were before Vegas and monkey 🐵. I miss the chimps

[@UniqueSundials]

It is a clear BLM message that anything involving monkeys is a clear negative racial stereotype. Therefore depicting ethnic minorities in a positive way is progress.

[@morgan3625]

I saw the comment before the video and I thought you were making a joke...

[@GolfWangMedia-incorporated]

“This dude.” You mean Dushane off Top Boy 😂

[@not7170]

Doesn’t even feel British, the old adverts were incredibly British, PG tips has fallen off

[@amantohugnkiss]

Jamaican and the Trinidad and Tobago flag says it all.

[@TheIrreverentUncleAl]

Yeah, the ad felt like it was made by someone with no idea what British culture is like.

[@gdutfulkbhh7537]

Some advertising executive *really* didn't earn his line of coke with that one. Brand vandalism.

[@EggManJoe420]

I, as a British person, am now depressed. That monkey has been around longer than I have been born. And I'll miss him. Edit: WoooOo spooky like amount this comment is super spooky WooOOOOoo

[@darkshotmk3]

I shall as well

[@complexunity4533]

don't let them bring you so low

[@stellviahohenheim]

They replaced the monkey? I barely noticed

[@EggManJoe420]

@@stellviahohenheim HOW

[@Lichmyballz]

@@stellviahohenheim Hahaha you're a legend

[@TedShatner10]

This advert slot cost £12 fucking million?! That's a budget for a feature film from thirty years ago or an episode from a modern streaming series!

[@VerdantSerpent]

Money laundering maybe?

[@TedShatner10]

@@VerdantSerpent The silly fees for the director and his crew?

[@olstearn]

I moved abroad. Every time someone visits me I ask them to bring a box of Pg tips. These kind souls often bring me a box of 1000. I went back to the UK for the first time in 4 years and saw the prices... 3x the price of any other teabags?! This kind of thing is probably why.

[@DirectorHMAN]

12 million is a decent budget for an independent British film

[@TedShatner10]

@@DirectorHMAN Yeah, it's a solid budget for a smaller scale debut type 90 minute movie, even now.

[@amosnimos]

I normally don't wish for people to loose their jobs... but Who ever got put in charge of this needs to be fired asap!

[@KillerKegsey1]

@@SmokingMonkeyMedia If they did anything like that again, it wouldn't be free. 💸💸💸💸

[@Grandofperth]

They replaced a monkey with another monkey

[@Doomsday_Report]

It's the deletion that throws me; what are they trying to hide? What crimes did Monkey commit? Did he assault a staffer, say a no-no word? Enquiring minds need to know.

[@SomeBoiOnline]

🤣🤣

[@HarryFlashmanVC]

'Monkeys' are racist... apparently

[@BombasticBear]

Bro didn’t even get a send off 😔like he’s literally a pice of British advertising history and is extremely well known across the country and just randomly he’s just gone from a tweet ?!? 😂😔

[@SomeBoiOnline]

Exactly, shows the people in charge haven't a clue.

[@L1am21]

Does he belong to p.g tips? He was originally ITV digital

[@SomeBoiOnline]

The rights were donated to Comic Relief when ITV Digital collapsed, who then loaned him out to PG Tips. So he could potentially pop up elsewhere!

[@wadeyhyena1657]

"It's not just tea, it's the termination of a brand icon in favour of a new soulless shallow marketing campaign with a guy who can't act, and a social media platform with barely any content."

[@Raeqwon17]

Yeah he's actually a good actor, but he's been given 0 material here. The advert is dull and lifeless

[@robloxfanatic692]

R.I.P. PG Tips Monkey (2006 - 2024)

[@Kevinplush]

He first appeared in 2001 For Itv DigitAl

[@SomeBoiOnline]

True, but I suppose he wasn't called the "PG Tips" Monkey until his return in 2007 😉

[@Lego-Brick-Gaming]

I remember when I first bought a pg tips monkey teddy and I still have it to this day. It sits on my shelf now.

[@IceniSky]

😢I'll cherish my little monkey (his name is Trevor now, but he was born PG tips)🐵

[@dh2032]

@@SomeBoiOnline was not just called "Monkey", the real live Monkeys, they where sort branded as the PG Monkeys being so heaverly asosated to the ads? 😞

[@Tuck-Shop]

The new advert is just box ticking, and they forgot to have a box that says "Features the product. Not just the packaging."

[@YouMissedAgain2024]

It's not about marketing the brand, it's about the message

[@DARKINBLADE.]

Corporations nowadays prefer to get rid of the fun and creativity from commercials so it’s all the same, monotone rubbish. Such a shame, I’m actually okay with commercials when they’re funny and have character to them and not the soulless stuff that 99% of British ads are nowadays.

[@SomeBoiOnline]

Exactly, some commercials can be great, it's like they choose to make them anything but.

[@alexwells6876]

There's a reason why we fondly remember all those ads from when we were kids. Not just because we were kids and easily impressed, the adverts were actually good.

[@joshslater2426]

I’m convinced nearly all modern British ads have similar or identical things in them: - 30 seconds or less - very straight to the point and unsubtle with it’s message/goal - features a mixed race couple or at least one ethnic minority - uses and annoying or generic pop song Maybe I’m just too nostalgic for old ads, but current ads, to me at least, are so repetitive and boring, and never convince me to buy anything.

[@alexwells6876]

@@joshslater2426 I've wondered if I'm blinded by nostalgia as well but if you just look at ad breaks, say from the 90s to early 00s, there's so much creativity. Animations, good set designs, strong art styles etc. that you just don't see anymore. There are still decent ads now and again of course, but when i do see one i sit up and take notice because it stands out even more these days amongst all the bland. If anything it should be easier to get peoole interested in your brand with the state of advertising now, it's not hard to stand out amongst the others haha

[@alexwells6876]

@@joshslater2426 I've wondered if I'm blinded by nostalgia as well but if you just look at ad breaks from say the 90s to the early 00s there's so much creativity. Animations, good set designs, strong visual style etc. that you just don't see these days. There's still decent ads of course, but when i do see one i sit up and take notice because it's more of a rarity. If anything you'd think it'd be even easier to get people interested in your brand with just a bit of effort because of the state of advertising now. It wouldn't be hard to stand out haha

[@brodieclamp5090]

PG tips: We're bringing modernising our ad campaign to appeal to a younger audience *replaces monkey with black guy* Shareholders: But how will this help us sell tea PG tips: Tea? On a serious note though there was literally a massive tiktok trend with the "me and my monkey" song. That would've got kids begging to buy pg tips if they saw the monkey do a funny dance to that song.

[@Fridelain]

They're evolving, only backwards.

[@cinemint]

I'm not even British (I'm Texan) and this decision absolutely baffles me. It has to be the single worst rebrand in immediate corporate history

[@SomeBoiOnline]

Wow, really glad to hear the video has resonated with all of you!

[@SamuelBlack84]

They seem to prefer ads that are bleak, boring and pretentious

[@timothylakin5035]

The original adverts used real chimpanzees they lived at twycross a village just up the road from we when they start arguing you can hear them

[@anomonyous]

​@@timothylakin5035Yeah... but that was always a bit dodgy. Having live chimps on set like that. Has all sorts of animal rights issues, and not to mention, they're very dangerous animals when it comes down to it.

[@danielkrcmar5395]

Don't forget Gillette.

[@Thetrainbloke]

I love how PG tips are acting that they have put effort into this when it's just a bloke talking to himself.

[@joshslater2426]

This is honestly sad. The PG Tips monkey is a legendary figure of British marketing, alongside the GoCompare Man and Pudsey Bear. This new replacement ad doesn’t even make any real sense, and isn’t going to stick in anyone’s mind.

[@alasdairwatson712]

Actually, it might stick in people’s minds, but for all the wrong reasons.

[@m4z805]

GoCompare Man is a national treasure at this point.

[@db5094]

And he was in MasterChef!!​@@m4z805

[@zordorfe]

Ive always hated the whole "trying to market to gen z". Im 16, im gen z, and i have the fondest childhood memories of that monkey, and theyve just erased that and rhen blamed it on people my age for some reason. Thats definitely not gonna fly with people my age who care.

[@gravemind6536]

They're trying to appeal to the generation that is suppossed to have a terrible attention span with some of the most boring generic advertisment imagineable. Makes perfect sense if you want to sink a brand.

[@lynnbarsby7356]

Good for you

[@youtoozboi763]

Dear god, the corporate monsters poisoned his tea :

[@SomeBoiOnline]

My god you're onto something, it's a cover up! 😂

[@youtoozboi763]

@@SomeBoiOnline After the movie they wanted to bump monkey off for a younger newer star, they succeeded by poisoning his tea but unfortunately it backfired as they couldn’t find a replacement as no monkey wanted to work with pg after their historical treatment of animal starts, this left pg and the people who killed him in the first place to taste karma as sales of pg tips fell without monkey.

[@stellviahohenheim]

​@@SomeBoiOnlineIsn't it terrible they replaced a monkey with a black man?

[@deppo436]

I wanna say as someone who is from Gen Z, the people who were "excited" to be making these adverts have to be the most dull and boring individuals on the planet. I even had to pause the video several times because this was actively angering me so much. Why did they think stripping away all the creativity and charm of the original ads, which allowed them to feel less like a corporation selling a product and more like a piece of entertainment, with something that is so forgettable would stick better with my target demographic?

[@TayWoode]

I agree, a lot of the older ads would have a sort of ongoing storyline with the same characters almost like a soap opera and people would enjoy watching them waiting for the latest one. I don’t watch a lot of tv but when the adverts come on now they just seem totally irrelevant or unfunny like a cat on a skateboard advertising toothpaste lip syncing to “we will rock you”. It’s like all the adverts appeal to younger TikTok people who would never buy the products but find anything funny and describe everything as the overused word “wholesome”. You’re right about gen z being “excited” about making them, what they really mean is how can they push their boring views on people and not actually think how to advertise to appeal to buyers. They probably sit around saying “We love Taylor Swift and Timothee Chalamet so let’s see if we can mention them in an ad for engine oil to let everyone know what fans we are of them” They have no imagination coz they watch too much rubbish from things like TikTok. I work with a lot of gen z and they’re very polarised, some are really interesting, funny and open minded, the other half just act like robots and regurgitate what they see on msm or twitter and think they are informed about the world, claim they are the tolerant ones yet get very defensive when asked about their views. Phew that’s my rant over 😂

[@JRS06]

"It's not just tea, it's progress." That just sounds like the desperate cry of a company who would rather sacrifice their identity to fit in with every other "cool" or "modern" brands. Almost everyone knows the PG Tips Monkey, and by replacing him and pretending it never existed, the company has just distanced itself from it's own brand. The ad doesn't even really sell tea, or at least it won't convince you to specifically PG Tips. I'd rather have a monkey and Johnny Vegas sell me tea through comedy rather than watch some man I've never met try to force feed me a message. At the very least they could've asked Johnny Vegas to come back and do the ad. It just feels sad that we live in a world where all ads feel the same and mascot branding is disappearing.

[@SamuelBlack84]

You would think they would utilise market research to determine what exactly people want rather than going off what they think based on corporate ideology

[@dh2032]

"progress", "solutions", and there more all corporate ideology, buzz words, you slip in about product or service, when run out of ideas? there the last gasps, and rebranding, is generally, marking blurb, they got some new, doing marking for some reason, some sale pitch, sounded better than what the are already doing, its been going on for years, just look a train Wrecks, of the past, British steel, British airways, the tail fin flag removal, new coke, Disney and it mouse, it now Disney+, its lost it identity, yes doing well at the moment, but that only because vacuuming up all the compaction, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Nat Geo, etc, etc,

[@goodlookinouthomie1757]

The slogan stinks of ESG. "Progress" means the exclusion of white men and everything they identify with.

[@gravemind6536]

Tea is an unexciting product people will typically just buy the same brand over and over again or just the cheapest or first one they see, in order to make products like this really sell a strong and memorable marketing campaign is a massive help. Andrex use the Labrador puppy to sell bog roll as its an otherwise boring and uninspiring product. Insurance companies use all kinds of wacky adverts like the Go Compare guy or the Meerkats. PG tips will just slowly sink to mediocrity without their Monkey.

[@thedevonianfootiefan9871]

As a British gen Z I prefer watching the classic adverts or like redos of the classics. Removing monkey is a crime, that’s like removing the Coca-Cola Christmas lorry or the babies from pampers commercials

[@jeffscroger7674]

Rebranding a comforting product with a comforting image to join the hellscape of 2020's influencer hustle culture. I hate this new PG Tips so much.

[@nettietrees7238]

Ok, so, is the ‘progress’ but about Ashley? Cos all I can find out about him is that he’s a piece of work. Arrested and imprisoned for having a modified weapon that fires live ammunition in 2001. Assaulted a security guard in 2013. Charged with threatening hotel staff in 2016. Fined for drug possession in 2014. Blames his absentee dad for turning into a criminal (not himself). But cos he’s an actor and a rapper and endorses Jeremy corbyn? I don’t get it. Why is he ‘progress’?

[@J1283-s1k]

Because he's black so 'representation'.

[@DisasterConnor]

Work that one out whilst you watch every other british ad that’s basically the same

[@Mr2decks]

The guy in the in the advert is mega man from so solid crew. That's why they used rock solid as a way to grab your attention. Sometimes just having a simple cup of tea is a way of getting people through the day and that's progress.

[@drayhudson3776]

​@@Mr2decksclose, it's asher d aka Ashley Walters, famous of course for top boy here in UK and part of So Solid Crew as stated, but you Americans might recognise him from Get rich Or die trying with 50 cent.

[@codes5_real]

Glad I’m not the only one who notices this weird “style” all media has now post 2020, it feels so alienated and baffling and the worst part is that EVERYONE is doing it…

[@SomeBoiOnline]

Yep, too clean, artificial and manufactured. Real life simply doesn't look like that.

[@Staniele]

@@SomeBoiOnline those caribbean flags on the fridge are the least realistic thing here.. i understand like one flag a little one but.. a bunch of them? it's like ''Oh Look at us! we are inclusive to other nations!!!!! please give us money!!!!!'' god i hate capitalism

[@SirHargreeves]

@@StanieleWoke isn’t capitalism.

[@arthurballs9632]

The creative industries are being leeched off by the DEI proecttion racket. Everything has to be run past David Lammy's nepotism industry and their talentless arses will reformat it in their interests. Meaning: they decide who'll be in it (a friend of theirs) and who'll get the money (them).

[@Staniele]

@@SirHargreeves ik.. but they are using it to make more money!

[@Mr_G_Daddy]

They just took what made PG tips great and threw it in the bin. What a shame. The new tea bags also taste worse and take longer for me to brew than the old ones. A horrible downgrade.

[@TomasGomezGoitia]

They are not making progress

[@idna832]

if they really wanted to target gen z with a self care angle, they could still have used the monkey. Gen z love funny little guys. having a cuppa with a little monkey sound like self care to me

[@SomeBoiOnline]

That's the ironic thing. Chances are the comedy of the original ads helped some people going through tough times.

[@L1am21]

Gen z dont watch t.v

[@qirat73]

@@L1am21 The ad would work just as well on TikTok or Instagram, instead of coming out with this new campaign they should have just revamped Monkey.

[@maxb148]

​@L1am21 true but they could easily just use some of the advertising budget to run ads on YT, Twitch, Tiktok, etc.

[@baileyharrison1030]

@@L1am21 Gen Z might not purposely watch TV but most will see TV advertising almost every day just from having the TV on as background noise in the living room.

[@ruskah0307]

"our new machines in Manchester are popping out teabags" ah yes, thank you for confirming that the new teabags are being pumped out soulessly. thats what i want to hear

[@TomTKK]

Brother they're not hand stitched

[@ruskah0307]

@@TomTKK its specifically the wording. dont show us the frog being dissected

[@Rabmcm32]

Where can i get the pyramid ones ?

[@MunkehFan1997]

I'm glad to have been the one to tell you about the new campaign. 👍 I was ultimately just ashamed at the fact that the build up for this advert was immense compared to what we got, coupled with the fact that one of Munkeh's puppeteers alluded that he would return in an email made me excited to see what was once a fun brand would create. I know I sounded a bit odd when I said "I won't be excited for any PG tips 'content' again." I feel like what I ment was that the adverts for this brand were made my people who were having fun and thats what I love about them. It's great to see people who care about something put their heart and soul into it. Fun is what we need more than ever in an age where AI generated 'art' is clawing slowly into the norm. I.E. the wonka experience, countless youtube channels like 'Nursery kids Rhymes'. It's all horrifying stuff. What better way to distract some of us with the warm, entertaining ad campaign made by people that actually care? I'm not saying that the old campaign is the key to world peace, I'm just saying, no matter what form, a bit of soul in our modern world would be nice. P.S. I would love to see a video on these creepy AI generated childrens channels. They are genuinely horrifying.

[@SomeBoiOnline]

Thanks for updating me in the first place MunkehFan! In regards to AI, it has quickly became predictably horrifying. I dread to think what the future holds for kids entertainment, given the likes of the crude Kermit parodies that already exist.

[@prosecutorwalton]

AI generated Munkeh. The horror.

[@ParallelSyntax]

Pure wokeness. It destroys everything.

[@FinnMobber]

Keep fighting the good fight Munkehfan

[@PecanBaby...]

​@ParallelSyntax Ain't that the truth. I am so totally fed up with all of it being shoved down our throats on the daily.

[@Skullcandy5282]

This advert is just ESG, DEI garbage, no character or personality, no heart, no fun just souless corporate trash. 12 mil is insane, this is definitely money laundering.

[@leadendeath]

seeing the word "progress" on anything is like seeing a brightly-coloured poison dart frog- aposematism!

[@kenricnarbrough8191]

Brilliantly put. We seem to be suffering wave after wave of campaigning pr Morons in advertising for the last ten years.

[@Grandofperth]

They replaced a monkey with another monkey

[@Diogo85]

When there's actual progress, it's fine.

[@ManiacalflameYT]

If they ever bring back Monkey, MonkehFan1997 deserves a cameo for the amount of pure disrespect he's been under by this company. they can't do this to MonkeyFan1997, it's unforgivable.

[@hq9684]

"It's Not Just Tea. It's Progress." I wish the mayan calendar was correct...

[@daveellis3048]

I think it was, we just didn’t release what the world ending actually meant.

[@falconeshield]

Maybe it did end in 2012

[@Wonderer888]

It was, the end of the world filled with colour, creativity and warmth as we remember it.

[@aporue5893]

it's boring

[@jaffa3717]

"They say the world didn't end in 2012, but has anyone felt alive since then?"

[@tripmann268]

You see it everywhere now, 'Progress' is usually just shortform for the erosion of personality and culture 🙃

[@anomonyous]

The old ads were distinctly British. This one doesn't even have that skinsuit left. All that's left is political ideology.

[@kenricnarbrough8191]

I particularly loath ads which could be broadcast in 60% of the world as internationalism flattens cultures. It's horrible and will make me avoid said product. To hell with these ideologues.

[@liekkianimaatio3652]

Political? The dude literally is just nervous about a new job and his brother builds him up. I don't see what it has to do with tea, nor progress as the campaign is called. The whole thing feels misguided in my books.

[@Diogo85]

Political? In what way? Sure, media has political but PG Tips replacing their mascot isn't exactly shoving politics in anyone' faces.

[@Diogo85]

@@liekkianimaatio3652 Some people don't like that word, neither do they like the words 'inclusiveness' and 'diversity.' I don't see the problem with those words, to be honest.

[@Fridelain]

It's all so tiresome.

[@TheSumoPenguin]

This truly is a sad day for the UK, the world, and all of time and space.

[@Diogo85]

UK? Maybe. The world? No. All of time and space? Definitely not.

[@Foxii-86]

I hate when companies remove the one thing that everyone loves about their brand, then they make the brand really crap and no fun at all. Almost nobody wants motivational quotes in adverts, everyone wants M O N K E Y

[@Theallmarmightyone.]

Men we have lost a fellow soldier, We salute to monkey for making our childhood and our mugs the greatest, we will miss you,

[@Theallmarmightyone.]

Maybe but I don’t think the rock and solid ads will be as big as monkey and Al

[@barcodebattler2587]

Im so glad someone made a video about this travesty of an advert

[@jjongolose]

as a gen zer who grew up watching these ads, i honestly hate how they thought tapping onto mental health would be a good marketing tactic. yes gen zers do talk about mental health way more than older generations, but that doesn’t mean it would be a great idea to use it to promote a product??? it would make more sense if childline/samaritans made an advertisement for their services rather than a literal tea company 😅

[@darkshotmk3]

Completely agree. If anything that monkey is better for mental health than this stupid advert.

[@bethanybrookes8479]

I think? They're trying to play into the whole tea as a partial solution to everything mentality we as a country seem to have? But really. If they wanted to do that, they could have had almost the same start of an ad, but instead of a guy coming in to talk the first guy up, have monkey bombastically barging in, and monkey goes "feeling down? Wanna talk over a cuppa?" Then have a narrated tea making montage then show them going off to start chatting about it over tea. Coz the tea is supposed to be the main character of the tea advert. But no. Apparently they think mental health awareness is gonna sell tea. Which it isn't. Tea can raise awareness of mental health if it wants to, and a brand like PG Tips has the reach to maybe actually do some good if they did it well. But this isn't doing it well. It's dull. It's lazy. It's the kind of ad that I switch off during and don't even notice what they're trying to sell.

[@Dilbert-o5k]

People are obsessed with mental health to the point they are gaslighting themselves into bad mental nealth

[@mallardofmodernia8092]

​@@bethanybrookes8479I swear other companies have already done that ad idea with success.

[@rightwing707]

Another company for the boycott list.

[@jimmyrcg4966]

As someone from the US man this is really some bleak advertising that im really sick of I understand talking and focusing on mental health is important but people need fun and color too Its tea its not supposed to be something that has to make a statement

[@SomeBoiOnline]

Very well said, I'm glad the video resonates with those of you across the pond!

[@Eugene_Black]

Why does talking about an issue have to be so bleak? if anything that wants me to talk less about it

[@jimbajamba9887]

Yes for some reason a tea company has to pull out a huge ESG stick...

[@Diogo85]

Where is the ESG? Is replacing a mascot ESG nowadays?

[@adamjlozano2454]

Such a shame Monkey and Al were such funny and charming characters.

[@SomeBoiOnline]

Exactly, god forbid should we have funny and charming characters in 2024 🙄

[@adamjlozano2454]

@@SomeBoiOnline Exactly Monkey and Al deserved way better. Such good characters just thrown away in the trash for Rock Solid

[@annirvin6555]

I wonder if Yorkshire tea fancy hiring Johnny and monkey🙈

[@Fatuiesss]

It could definitely be possible lol, even just al would make sense

[@OktoberSunset]

In the words of Al, I don't get it monkeh.

[@B2-1]

I'm a millennial/gen z. The irony is that what gen z actually love is nostalgia. And gen z are nostalgic for monkey and al! Can you imagine the amount of tea that would sell if they brought them back with plushes?? Also I disagree with the point the directing is irrelevant as those old ads are only as good as they are from the good direction, eg the warm colours you praised.

[@SomeBoiOnline]

I agree and should've been more clear about this; the direction in the old ads is top notch and certainly not irrelevant, proving that you don't need big name Hollywood directors to achieve quality ads. The fact that we don't know who they are (without looking it up) is more of a positive thing.

[@B2-1]

@@SomeBoiOnline I agree, hope this pushback can convince them to do a 180 so maybe an up and coming director gets the chance to bring our boys back. 🤞

[@Staniele]

as a Gen Z Monke made me want to buy some PG! this does not..

[@vermis8344]

"Directed by Steve McQueen and starring Ashley Winters" They say this as if it's supposed to mean something. (Twelve million for two guys sitting in a kitchen for thirty seconds. Strewth...)

[@timothylyons5686]

" Dad, do you know the piano's on my foot"? "You hum it son and l'll play it"

[@SomeBoiOnline]

The chimps! They of course deserve the credit for starting off the sitcom style ads in the first place.

[@bethanybrookes8479]

As gen z, the best tea ad I saw recently was the Yorkshire tea one with the old star trek dude just working in an office and they're holding a leaving party for this one lady and he gives a whole ass speech about how sad he is to see her go, whilst drinking tea. And then he announces they're going to the pub so everyone leaves and it's implied they're working in Yorkshire tea HQ. Maybe because the idea of Patrick Stewart working in the offices connected to a tea company is just that bizzare. Ut doesn't live up to the monkey but yeah. Mental health isn't gonna sell to Gen Z. Absurdism is. Absurdism like a toy monkey tea fanatic, or Patrick Stewart working in a boring office job.

[@SomeBoiOnline]

Funnily enough, I remember the Patrick Stewart ad too! Just goes to show that we remember those that were clever, comedic and straight up bizarre. Hilarious concepts like that deserve to be put to screen, fake corporate nonsense doesn't.

[@AbiSaysThings]

I wish corporations would realise that just because mental health is a big issue doesn't make it marketable. I just get angry when I see brands trying to capitalise off the mental health crisis capitalism has caused.

[@NorthamIncYT]

seems like they asked some random guy on the street if he wants to be in an ad

[@natatk1570]

He’s an incredibly successful actor who starred in one of Britains biggest shows from the last 15 years

[@NorthamIncYT]

@@natatk1570 said it seems like it

[@ooze448]

​@@natatk1570are you joking? I seriously can't tell, if U was being serious you'd atleast say what this biggest show is .. from the last 15 years what 😂

[@natatk1570]

@@ooze448 Top Boy. Its incredibly popular

[@natatk1570]

@@NorthamIncYT well i’m correcting you

[@ashemocha]

gen z here (2000-2005 period), i think i can speak on behalf that literally all of the people in my generation fondly know the PG tips monkey. i specifically and vividly remember the ad from getting home from that storm, and replacing the cool blues with warm oranges in the colour tone. i think this *does* boil down to americanism and older folk just not understanding

[@_mr_star_]

As a American I straight up hate the new PG commercial, like you don't know how many crap I see at home, ooooh she say you doing great, ooooh that person doing trending dances. The only commercial I like to see on my tv right now is the Burger King Whopper, empire carpet, progressive, twix, Skittle, (some mascot) and local business. Update I forgot to mention Red Bull.

[@markwright3161]

"The sound of the snap, when you bite into it." :) That's advertising. I don't even like Twix, but I've searched for the ad on KZbin, I remember the ad, I know exactly what it was advertising (whereas I didn't even notice this was PG Tips the first time I saw it on TV).

[@_mr_star_]

Oh I mean twix chicken

[@markwright3161]

@@_mr_star_ I've not seen that one. Searching 'twix chicken' it comes up with a twix cookie dough, 2 chickens talking about which came first. Is that it? That's quite good too. If you haven't seen the one I quoted, search 'Twix bears camping'. 36 seconds on a channel 'budding' is the one I've seen on TV here. On searching for it before, I found one with different voice actors for the bears and slightly different dialogue, but that one I saw first is my preferred one. Hopefully I didn't spoil it.

[@markwright3161]

KZbin just deleted my reply. I hadn't seen that one, but searching 'twix chicken' came up with 2 chickens talking about what came first with a cookie dough twix. Is that the one you meant? It was quite good too. If you haven't seen the one I quoted, search 'Twix bears camping'. A 36 second video from the channel 'budding' is the one I've seen on TV. There's another online with different voice acting.

[@_mr_star_]

@@markwright3161 yep that the chicken all right.

[@Goldenblitzer]

In the grim darkness of the modern day, there is only corporate

[@ClarenceFlanagan]

This advert made me sad too. Another soulless rebrand.

[@Fatuiesss]

I have a little brother who’s always loved monkey, when I saw the instagram posts I showed him with the context that monkey was returning and he was thrilled. Then the next morning we turned on the telly and saw.. that advert. His face was so confused. Poor fella.

[@SomeBoiOnline]

Bless him! Terrible marketing on PG Tips' part, no respect for the cult status of the characters.

[@Fatuiesss]

@@SomeBoiOnline would be a good opportunity for another tea brand to buy the characters, or at least get al back on board.

[@aaronhall9077]

WTF?! They've now bastardised the PG Tips brand of all things. Why, just why? They can't leave anything alone can they.

[@rbrojas2040]

The golden nuggets miner has also dissapeared from the cereal box. Whenever I can actually find a box.

[@ethanoreilly2002]

What a terrible and uninspired way to ruin a brand and it's identity. Unfortunately I feel like this sums up the times we're living in.

[@dw9524]

Its not just marketing, its Dystopian corporatism. 😍😍😍

[@Error_Arcade]

Progress,what progress,they got rid of one of the best characters in an advert to replace it with a dude just talking.R.I.P monkey

[@bobbobbington1238]

"If I speak, I'm in big trouble, and I do not want to be in, errr, big trouble"

[@Kameology]

It's depressing that I still remember the Go Compare guy used to get kidnapped and beaten but now it's himself, literally.

[@Staniele]

THEY CAN'T KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@markpostgate2551]

"Progress" is a kick-to-the-gonads word to call vandalism.

[@alex.g7317]

The tea wasn’t even my favourite part of PG Tips, it was the monkey plush that I’d use to brew my cuppa!

[@SomeBoiOnline]

😮

[@Stormy177]

PG Tips adverts have been associated with monkeys for decades. They used to have adverts using actual monkeys until there was a campaign against that in the '90s(? - not sure when it was exactly). Having a guy of Jamaican ancestry become the new face of the brand sounds faintly racist in that context...

[@TayWoode]

Almost like they’re doing it subconsciously but believing they’re being diverse and inclusive.

[@DinosaurBytes]

You know what works regardless of generational trends and statistics? Authenticity. Shame they seem to have missed that memo.

[@SomeBoiOnline]

Yup, that's why good comedy like the Laurel & Hardy films from the 1930's can still resonate with people now, their authenticity is timeless and the same goes for the old Monkey ads.

[@alexrichardson2500]

I can't wait for the depressed man plush that comes free with a pack of ProGressive Tips!

[@SomeBoiOnline]

😂😂

[@marcusjackson9076]

That new advert might be the most boring thing I've ever seen. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Johnny Vegas and Monkey have been around for decades and the adverts always brought a smile and yes absolutely they brought a sense of comfort too.

[@annereynolds9398]

Exactly the ads were amusing isn't laughter good for your mental health . they should remember the phrase go woke go broke .when there sales plummet will be the only way they learn

[@JCglitchmaster]

So they went from an advert that massively appealed to both children and adults (monkey for kids, Vegas for adults) that was entertaining to watch because it was quite funny while being informative about the product to someone talking about their job to themselves and happens to be drinking (a single sip) of some tea. Someone might be getting fired with this one chief.

[@CreativeCache101]

I am gen Z and i am not having some existential crisis about tea when i watch adverts nor is any one of us seeing the world in some alternate dimension that gives us a greater sense of self and the world around us. Me want to laugh, me want monkey.

[@TheFort87]

I like how the kettle was filled and mugs perfectly aligned despite a 1000 yard stare

[@SomeBoiOnline]

Hadn't noticed that, it's all so manufactured 😂

[@Monsterbwoi]

i can tell you this as someone who is a part of gen Z. as you said it really DOES NOT resonate (with me at least) monkey was such a big part of my childhood and man i want him back :(

[@itsalie24]

As a Gen Z, I fucking loved the monkey.

[@Chris-yc3mm]

There is no way that new advert cost more than a couple of grand. The rest of the campaign must have been super expensive

[@Whispurer]

The ad scripts feel AI generated lol. The reasoning is absolutely ChatGPT.

[@fr4ctl]

Other than the actor possibly respresenting, why is there a Jamaican flag on the fridge? Didn't PG come from British heritage? Everything in shot is purposefully placed. But still.

[@jameswatson5807]

Because his grandmother was probably from Jamaica, Jamaica was a British colony until 1962.

[@dumass804]

Bringing back the 'get a monkey toy with special limited edition boxes of pg' would have been so much better... why did they ruin their own brand

[@jrfw96]

The advert has a Jamaican flag in the background. PG tips doesn't want to be identified with the British public

[@geekygirl0333]

Well made video!! I think it's honestly ridiculous that this is trying to appeal to a modern generation, when we were literally the ones who grew up with these beloved characters of Monkey and Al. By this point, Monkey is infinitely more iconic and recognisable than any celebrity they could afford to hire.

[@ErraticPT]

I thought "celebrities" were meant to be recognisable to the majority, have a personality and (in media atleast) be able to act. 0 out of 3 for this guy!

[@SomeBoiOnline]

Thanks so much, you're absolutely right!

[@auroraice9360]

im gen z, their "target audience", the monkeh adverts were part of my childhood, i've never been a fan of tea but i always paid attention to those adverts

[@fireflowerfilms2010]

This is why I moved to Yorkshire tea. You can’t kill monkeh and still get my money!

[@anthustenebris9202]

"It's not just tea, it's progress." Soon to be followed by: "And if the bigots don't like it, they can touch grass..."

[@LynneHobday1]

I'll be buying Yorkshire Tea in the future, then.

[@stormtraitor6545]

I might switch to Twinings.

[@incurableromantic4006]

I bitterly hate the way everything about this country's culture and identity is being deliberately erased.

[@Sheadogisbeast01]

I feel nostalgic for Britain in the 00's and '10s and I'm Irish lol

[@HarryTheLoser]

Seriously why is it that all the brands we remember for having iconic ads now make the most bland, boring, uncreative things that help them blend in more than stand out, which is y'know what an advert is trying to do.

[@SomeBoiOnline]

It's everywhere. Just like every brand logo became minimalistic and flat all of a sudden.

[@TayWoode]

Adverts aren’t fun anymore, they’re made by a certain group of people with no creativity pushing a view no matter the product. If they are trying to be funny, it’s something irrelevant like a cat on a skateboard singing “we will rock you” advertising washing powder, then everyone calls it the overused buzzword “wholesome” That’s what happens when you employ young ad execs with no imagination who try and appeal to similar people who would never buy the product. They probably sit around saying “Well everyone loves Taylor Swift and Timothee Chalamet, so let’s mention them in an ad for engine oil set in the Bronze Age and say they use it, then it’ll sell”

[@aporue5893]

''better make it bland so nobody's offended now'' -modern ads

[@BuggingonBeeroids]

I'm pretty sure if you gave any rando a camera and only £1200 they'd be able to make a better advert, because nothing could ever be as dull, corporate and somehow preachy as a flat shot of a flat actor giving himself a flat speech about sod all. It takes a committee to be this bloody boring and uncreative.

[@matthewwilliams3827]

True lol.

[@metalnep]

from a purely quality control perspective, I also noticed a massive decline in consistency between teabags when they switched away from the pyramid shape. So much so that I am now part of the yorkshire majority.

[@oliverwithers9736]

Fun fact, my Great Grandfather owned and trained the original PG tips monkeys. This just sucks even more for me.

[@SomeBoiOnline]

No way! That's incredible. Just remember that whatever happens now can't take away your Great Grandfather's legacy, those ads will live on, whilst this new stuff will likely be forgotten about soon enough.

[@oliverwithers9736]

@@SomeBoiOnline thanks. If you look at all the old adverts from the 1950s he owned and trained all those chimps. Before that he actually worked with a lot of famous actors, including Ronald Reagan. He’s actually the reason that if you see a picture of Reagan in the White House he has a jar of jelly beans on his desk because my great grandfather used to feed the chimps jelly beans and Reagan liked them.

[@mallardofmodernia8092]

​@@oliverwithers9736hmm sure you did 😂

[@oliverwithers9736]

@@mallardofmodernia8092 I mean he did. I can’t send pictures on KZbin but I do have photographic proof. Edit: I found an old video actually. If you search: Jack, Benny and Marquis chimps 1959 on KZbin. The main man in that is my great grandfather. Those are the same chimps as used in the original pg tips adverts.

[@oliverwithers9736]

@@mallardofmodernia8092 actually kzbin.info/www/bejne/raCsk6Gqjdipg8ksi=qvkMHYQGD1Wgi-_e if that link works, the chimps in that image are the same as used for the og pg tips adverts, the man in the video is my great grandfather.

[@Regeor]

No other mascot was actually memorable like the monkey was. I don’t even like tea, but I know that the monkey was a key part of the brand

[@drewhalcro6082]

What they mean by "it's 2024" is people don't buy product, they buy politics. This thing thinks and feels the same way I do so I buy it! If mental health was the main aim, they should have set up a charity/non-profit and advertised THAT and make it clear that it is supported and an extension of the PG company.

[@2DSM2]

Munkeh, was an iconic piece of British advertising history. Why replace something that isn't broken? The new branding is soulless.

[@jamesturner6979]

My elderly mother has collected multiple variants of the Chimp plushie since she drinks so much of PG Tips. It'll break her heart to learn that the mascot has been replaced. :(

[@AwesomeHyperSonic547]

It makes no sense that they would replace such brilliant ads with such crappy boring forgettable ones. R.I.P. ITV Digital/PG Tips Monkey, remembered fondly. 🥺🥺 Please someone save all the Monkey GIFs before they get removed from Giphy! 😥

[@milotaylor1175]

To give a bit of context, the actor is from this really popular Netflix show called Top Boy, and he’s part of a Rap Group called The So Solid Crew, hence the tagline: Solid as A Rock. But yeah, it’s got nothing on the old ads.

[@SomeBoiOnline]

Hm, interesting. That's... a weird decision for a tea ad considering it's apparently a violent and gritty crime drama.

[@ic7481]

New motto should be: "Tea that is as weak as limp-wristed artsy film school graduate"