UK TV Commercials 60s/70s produced by Henry Bentinck

I got these from the J. Walter Thompson archive in 1989 for my father's 70th birthday. He produced all these ads, thought of the Nimble balloon idea, and came up with the line, 'Mr Kipling bakes exceedingly good cakes'. Sorry for the plethora of Nimble ads, but the collection was more for his own interest than for public consumption.
In sequence:
Ribena - with a very young me!
Campbell's Soup - with my sister, Anna
Spiller's Shapes - with my then brother-in-law's dog Max
Butter - Arthur Lowe and John le Mesurier
Berger Paint - with Anna Bentinck again
Tweed - perfume
Mr Kipling - Henry wrote the line, and used close-ups of food for the first time in British advertising, employing a man in Paris called Dymka. Trying to find out who he was/is.
Mothers Pride -4 commercials with Andy Stewart, Dusty Springfield and Joe Brown
Polo. My father wrote the lyrics to all the songs too!
Kraft Cheese Slices - with... anyone know who this is?
Nimble - first one is the last made - faked matte shots over London
The next one is the pre-balloon one in b/w with Joanna Lumley
Then comes the first balloon ad, with a hydrogen balloon in Segovia, Spain. You can watch Henry talking about it here: vimeo.com/5530015
Then there are three with the hot air balloon in Switzerland - all with the incredibly brave and intrepid Nimble girl Emily Cumming.
Finally there's an old b/w Mothers Pride ad shot on the hill above Frithsden in Hertfordshire, half a mile from where I grew up.
Here are some photos of the Switzerland Nimble balloon shoot: picasaweb.goog...
And these are from the first shoot with the hydrogen ballon in Segovia, Spain. picasaweb.goog...

[@Sameoldfitup]

“Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?”― Tennessee Williams..

[@stellafraser8351]

So true!😕

[@lebosisings]

I think that Joanna Lumley in the black and white Nimble ad

[@kevphillips02]

No

[@nance64]

@@lebosisings Yes, absolutely.

[@bunny-tc8yr]

You ant a woofin.

[@Daized2009]

Gets ad blocker, watches hours of ads purposely. 🙄

[@halcyon289]

Oh the irony !!!!!!

[@Boys-AllTheStuffAndMore]

Song: she flies like a bird in the sky she flies like a bird and i wish that she was mine she flies like a bird oh me oh my i see i sigh now i know I cant let maggie go Narrator: I’m just here to waste your time but Nimble is only 40 squared calories a slice

[@kaywaters4427]

Funny!

[@martinhuckle6069]

Sometimes the ads were better than the programme you were watching

[@srl6018]

Unlike today when ads and programmes are equally dreadful.

[@jasonbeard4713]

During an episode of Match Game, Gene Rayburn said the same thing.

[@56bluegold]

Great video. In my opinion I think the 60s and the 70s was a much better time to have lived in.

[@michellefalleur960]

The Nimble Ads and the music & song that went with them, has always stayed with me since my childhood, i still love them.

[@saxx001]

How good to hear English spoken so well.

[@deboraharris1122]

A much lovelier, innocent time, before we had to grow up.. Or pretend to.. 😊

[@Deedee-ee1sg]

Blimey, Dusty Springfield doin a Mother's pride ad?! I remember a lot of these ads. Very nostalgic!! I used to love the R. WHITES LEMONADE ad !! I also used to love AQUA MANDA bath gel , can still smell now lol!! Wish they could make it again.

[@pollymotley5041]

Yes DeeDee I too dream of Aqua Manda being brought back. In the original formula, not some new version! One of the loveliest fragrances ever, like the '70s in a bottle. Always mingles in my memory with the cozy smell of Carmen Rollers heating up!

[@andrewdock7288]

Not Dusty Springfield.

[@michellefalleur960]

​@pollymotley50 41 ... ahhh.. !!..

[@mekonta]

@@andrewdock7288It most definitely IS Dusty. Webpages for both Dusty and Mother’s Pride confirm this.

[@krule148]

This is so soft and lovely. Makes me feel like I’m in the 60s

[@nine.osiris3641]

"rice eaters and spice eaters who now eat bread instead"

[@timbentinck]

@@nine.osiris3641 I remember my father singing this to the family when he’d written it. I say sang, he was completely tone deaf, but with a great sense of rhythm and a wonderful writer. His out of tune singing was extraordinarily consistent!

[@jubbaronny]

I was born in 1966 and the the first thing I ever remember watching on tv was the Nimble balloon advert.

[@michellefalleur960]

Exactly the same here, and born in that same year too !!

[@hgm8337]

Processed cheese, white-bread, cakes, mints, and sugary drinks; it’s a wonder any of us made it to our 30’s without becoming type 2 diabetic! 😱

[@nataliahana6183]

I'm in love with these commercials! Truly one of the coolest things I've ever found on KZbin.

[@Seaventeares]

That's when Mother's Pride was a REAL loaf of bread. Not like today's wallpaper paste loaves

[@timbentinck]

Well.... not really!

[@paianis]

@@timbentinck As in it was never great to begin with.

[@GEOFF0906]

@@paianis The Scottish version was the traditional 'Plain Loaf', which was always better than the English one. I believe it still comes in waxed paper!

[@mgthestrange9098]

That’s right, it’s called plain bread and you get the ordinary one too which is called pan bread. Plain bread makes the best toast and cheese on toast. 🤤

[@stevenclark7733]

Captain Manwairing and Sgt Wilson at 1:48. I don’t remember that advert but great to see them all the same !

[@annirunaway]

Love that damn Nimble bread song...sooo pretty and 60s...

[@ayrshireman1314]

Love how 'Max' isnt at all fazed by a talking fox puppet right in his face, lol. Lovely looking dog as well.

[@andyelliott8027]

Maybe they added the voice track afterwards.

[@minanes6549]

Your dad invented the Mr Kipling tagline? It's incredible to think it's still going all this time later. Golden! And just think, even the Nimble Balloon has gone into our cultural history. Think of Wallace & Gromit's Piella Bakewell out of 'A matter of loaf and death'!

[@djpaul146]

We complain about the adds and now we're watching loads lol😂🤣🤣🤣

[@harebell6850]

Takes me back and makes me feel safe, strangely. Thanks for uploading.

[@stellina8939]

I know what you mean,I feel the same x

[@philipusher4282]

Wow, some hard-hitters in those Mother's Pride adverts, never seen them before.

[@garethbramley1]

When ads were worth watching time and time again. Love those Nimble ads - I could watch them forever. The song was great too. That's James Hayter doing the voiceover for Mr. Kipling. Not seen the other three Mothers Pride ads before - only the Dusty one. Thanks for sharing.

[@gaynor1721]

Nuts whole hazelnuts! Cadbury's take them and cover them in chocolate! Trebor Mints are a minty bit stronger. Stick them on your tongue and they last a bit longer.

[@tonydevine3754]

Great memories Tim, that Nimble theme has stayed with me since I first heard it and I'm in my 50s now!

[@timbentinck]

Tony Devine It's amazing how many people remember them!

[@dashcam26]

@@timbentinck Ah Yes! This was "Can't let Maggie go" by Honeybus as I recall...

[@asifhove]

@@timbentinck such a great iconic tune, was such a main part of the 1960s /'70s.

[@MrLesliegreen]

Proper advents in those less rushed days. Great set and love the black and white. Superb Thank you.

[@Kelly-nm4kw]

Hello Leslie, How are you doing?

[@progress-ms3du]

I've just realised I have been whistling the Polo's tune for all these years!! 😊

[@kingporter67]

Excellent UK TV commercials from the 1960's and 1970's decades!!

[@gmf121266]

One of my first TV memories is the Nimble girl on the balloon. I was more interested in the Ads when I was 3 or 4 than the TV!

[@timbentinck]

Greg Fletcher Hi Greg, yes my father was always more interested in the ads too!

[@dizmop]

What's the link with the music of the nimble ads?

[@babtist58]

An incredible collection of memories - thank you for sharing them. Your father created some real TV history back then. BTW, I fell madly in love with all the "Nimble" girls!

[@MrWindermere123]

I remember the Martini adverts - I thought it must be the most glamourous drink in the world. And Green Shield Stamps when buying it?

[@itsjudystube]

We couldn't afford Ribena, so I used to hope we would get some at friends' houses

[@joepineapples7774]

hole in the road?.....we...

[@stephanesonneville]

You were lucky - the best we could manage was to suck on a piece of damp cloth ! kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3ascqOLg7t1gck

[@Funkstar124]

Us neither. It ended up being Quosh!

[@jimsmethurst6113]

@@stephanesonneville try telling that to the kids of today. They'll never believe you!

[@cw7792]

@@joepineapples7774 we were so poor our treat was to look at Ribena bottles in the shops

[@CZ350tuner]

We had a Mother's Pride bakery in my home town. It was a landmark on top of a hill. It closed back in the late 1980's. Kind of sad when a household name brand disappears suddenly and is forgotten. We still have a Ryvita factory though.

[@SurprisedBluebonnetFlowe-cc8fr]

i loved mothers pride bread😊

[@timbentinck]

Nothing like it for beans on toast.

[@topquark6919]

It's the first time I've seen that Nimble TV ad, (7.19) since the 1970's! Brings back lovely memories.

[@RSR423]

Joanna Lumley taking a dip as the Nimble girl.

[@stevouk]

And Mr Joanna Lumley, aka Jeremy Lloyd, doing the narration

[@elizabethstephenson3531]

Takes me back to the days when we didn't pay fifty quid for a loaf of bread!!!

[@barfly946]

£50 for a loaf ? Are you from 2190 ?

[@RobTheBuilder]

Wonderful to see all of those classic ads. The nimble balloon is such a brilliantly simple device. I work at JWT, and this makes me want to dig back through the archives! Thanks for sharing, your dad was clearly a talented man.

[@timbentinck]

Thanks Rob, I still do voiceovers for JWT occasionally, but when I mention Nimble these days, they're all so young I just get blank looks. Maybe someone should teach company history! If it's still there, the JWT archive is fascinating.

[@RobTheBuilder]

Which ads have you V/O'd? I'm in the Sydney office (formerly of the Manchester one too), but I'd like to think that globally they keep a good record of their ads. Would make a great project to archive and collate them. I try to always reference good old ads when I'm writing about the industry!

[@timbentinck]

RobTheBuilder I found all the above on tape at the London office. Hope they're still there. As for my v/o work, here's a few - www.bentinck.net/voices/index.html Cheers, Tim

[@BridgLondon]

Was that Dusty Springfield delivering bread? Presumably Sandie Shaw had a milk round . . .

[@aprilblossom9268]

I thought that was Dusty Springfield too but also thought she and the other Springfields were American??

[@aprilblossom9268]

Not that accent always means a lot, looking at likes of Toni Collette

[@progress-ms3du]

Anyone recognise Joanna Lumley as the girl in the bikini in the picnic Nimble ad? 😃

[@regsymes1377]

Those were the days. If only we could borrow Dr who's TARDIS and go back for a visit

[@bunnymazhari8642]

I wouldn't bother coming back.

[@alcoyboy]

No doubt that life was simpler, more stress-free and well... better, in those days. However, the food was total shite and in that respect alone 2020 edges it. I am also the son of an ex-ad man. I remember bouncing around a photographic studio on a Space Hopper, aged seven, to promote a long-gone brand of childrens' outer clothing. Even our German Shepherd was roped in to advertise Mr McGrath dog food.

[@timbentinck]

Ashley Rhodes Glory days Ashley!

[@ianstewartorr8455]

My childhood wonderful memories thank you

[@pollymotley5041]

Thank you so much for this wonderful reminder of how pleasant life used to be.

[@mungomidge1090]

Love all the Nimble ads at the end.

[@charlesrobinson7469]

Nimble Gal(Emily Jones) looks like Rebecca Romain Stamos to me, very Pretty.❤️

[@philjamieson5572]

Was that Joanna Lumley swimming?

[@chrisbuckley7978]

Campbles condensed makes great white sauce for chicken pie

[@ProfoundConfusion]

These old commercials are so cool. Thank You for sharing.

[@teent0mt0m]

Only just discovered this little treasure-trove. Thanks so much Tim for posting it. Lots I’d not seen before, despite growing up in ATV-land in the sixties. The voiceover for the Campbell’s Soup advert sounds to me like Peter Dyneley (best know, of course, as the voice of Jeff Tracy). He used this soft, mellow voice for some of Thunderbirds’ incidental characters though.

[@Gannett2011]

Mothers Pride - yes, we had that at school in the 80s, horrible flabby white bread! And Nimble - my mother insisted on that stuff, you ended up eating twice as much, cancelling out it's advertised dietary advantages! If only the ASA could go back to the 60s and see these ads, they'd have a field day! Thank you for sharing, I have always enjoyed these ads, since visiting the Pack-Age Museum in 1982 when they showed old B/W ads.

[@pickneydem4087]

never trust robin askwith to decorate your home

[@cdeford]

At least not if your wife is at home.

[@darganx]

I was wandering why I didn't get an answer when I called home..

[@delbhoye]

Looked like a brief appearance by Robin Askwith in the Berger Paints ad.

[@marcse7en]

Unfortunately, unlike 70s Nimble Sliced Bread, nowadays, I'm definitely NOT "Even Lighter!" 🤣

[@SurprisedBluebonnetFlowe-cc8fr]

kept you brainwashed thoujh😂 trying

[@michellefalleur960]

Me neither

[@ayrshireman1314]

The Scot in the Mothers Pride ad was Andy Stewart.

[@RichardandPaul]

Wow thanks for sharing. I think the nimble ads are some of my first memories. I remember the song so well.

[@nicholasroberts6954]

How on earth did Robin Askwith ( "Confessions of a Window Cleaner") fit matrimony and house painting in with all those other commitments ? Sweeter, nicer times.

[@sumwotcurvie]

Oh Such Heaven. Thank you for posting these. I live in the States now and so miss a lot of the products here.

[@fisherpeter695]

The Nimble advert brings back lovely memories of the 1967-70 period when TV adverts were original and nice to hear. Hard to think such a iconic singer like Dusty Springfield would advertise bread, and mention a pre war job as a knocker up. Think the 60s were a marvellous time to grow up. Everything seemed to work, and stress at work unheard of, and money, what there was pay day, seemed to go further than post decimal in 1971.

[@SurprisedBluebonnetFlowe-cc8fr]

remembe the flake girl on the lake, dont get flakes that big anymore

[@tomhaskett5161]

The Nimble song was 'I can't let Maggie go' by The Honeybus (from 1968)

[@teacherlucas9982]

If Nimble got me higher I would never buy it, I'm frightened by hight.

[@johncostello3174]

8:11 Joanna Lumbley ??

[@nicholasbenies6456]

Basil Brush with Shapes, far out.

[@ritawing1064]

Thank you for posting and the interesting facts about your father's involvement with this world!

[@belvynmyrrh6634]

Excellent collection! I'm from 1987 so these ads are all new to me - I would like to release a helium balloon with 'Nimble' written on it in your father's honour :) He must have loved his career.

[@trueman5483]

Those were the days.

[@bencolemanart]

I want to note that the Nimble commercials (7:17) inspired '‘Piella’, the Bake Lite Girl' from Wallace and Gromit's "A Matter of Loaf and Death".

[@peterturley2960]

Honeybus- 'I can't let Maggie go'! X.

[@johnhardman3]

A pity the voters didn't.

[@kyliejones8827]

Tim, thank you! Loved these! I'm 55, raised in the U.K. and was glued to the telly throughout my childhood (now glued to KZbin). Greetings from Tasmania 😀

[@timbentinck]

Kylie Jones G’day and thank you. I was born in Tassie!

[@kyliejones8827]

@@timbentinck Interesting to know - do you remember much about it? I've been here 15 years and love it. Looking forward to future nostalgia trips via your videos! Enjoyable distraction from work. Yikes.

[@timbentinck]

@@kyliejones8827 I left when I was two but I've been back twice. I love the place too. I recently wrote a story about it. Want to read it?

[@kyliejones8827]

@@timbentinck Yes, thanks, I'd love to!!

[@timbentinck]

Kylie Jones Okay. I’m a bit wary of leaving my email here but if you go here www.timbentinck.com/contact my gmail address is at the bottom.

[@Stringbean421]

Thanks for sharing. ooh, the memories. Network DVD, who release a lot of archive TV comedy and drama from the vaults of ITV which include Thames, LWT, Granada, etc mainly catering to a niche market, even keep the original 'END Of PART' break bumpers in, sometimes called adcaps. Casual purchasers don't like this but to us collectors it's all about completeness. Now if only they could slot in 1 or 2 adverts in between those adcaps from the same year, that would really be the icing on the cake.

[@georgealty9009]

Great stuff. The London Bridge skyline at the end of the Nimble advert was truly a glimpse into another worl.

[@clockworkdave9850]

Ikr.. London has virtually been rebuilt

[@michellefalleur960]

@@clockworkdave9850 ... Unfortunately -, it looks a hideous mess now .

[@atomclub37]

Was your dad at JWT at the same time as Jeremy Bullmore? JWT used to be jam-packed full of characters back in the day... (but then, so was advertising as a whole...)

[@timbentinck]

He was indeed. I seem to remember they were good friends. Ah, characters, so true!

[@joer9868]

Joanna Lumley in a bikini in the nimble advert!

[@timberswimbers]

Great collection. Looking at those Nimble ads, I’m gobsmacked as to how much the area around Tower Bridge has changed!

[@amandasweeten634]

The woman’s voice from the first commercial sounds just like White Diamond from SU.

[@MsSonny13]

I think the producers of Wallis and Gromit 'A matter of loaf and death' paid great tribute to your father's talent on the wonderful Nimble Advert that inspired million's to have romantic thoughts of balloon travel eating bread... Please thank your dad for creating such interesting memorable 'adverts'...I only wish advertisers would create positive campaigns promoting real 'organic' healthier options for a more sustainable future!

[@timbentinck]

Sadly no longer with us, but he would have agreed with you thoroughly. He gave up advertising to become an organic smallholder in Devon, living off the land, and was warning of the coming of the Silent Spring from the seventies on, and wrote about it. I've done a website for him if you're interested. www.henrybentinck.com. Best wishes, Tim

[@helenforsey3765]

What a fond memory of this advert. Nimble played such a big part of my childhood as did Mothers Pride and Hovis. My dear father David Thomson was general manager of a RHM bakery in Bromley Kent in the 70’s and 80’s. Many thanks for showing it again, X

[@debbierichens3910]

Oh what fabulous memories these adverts bring back! I loved the Nimble one and only later, did I discover the song itself was called “I can’t let Maggie Go” by Honeybus. The ads in the 1970s when I was a teenager were so much more fun and interesting - unlike today’s! I remember once in class at school, we all learned the Lipsmackinthirstquenching etc slogan from the Pepsi ad!

[@timbentinck]

I agree. So many memorable ads. Can't think of any modern ones that stay the course.

[@andyelliott8027]

The drummer for Honeybus was Pete Kircher who went on to be the Drummer for Status Quo between 1982 and 1985, he's retired now.

[@louisgrassimedium]

Commercial with Arthur Lowe followed by ad with Noel Dyson.... That just struck me as funny

[@jopacey9996]

Andy Stewart, my absolute crush of the 60s (I was born in 1958)! And surely Dusty Springfield and Joe Brown didn’t have to supplement their incomes selling Mother’s Pride??

[@Kelly-nm4kw]

Hello Jo, How are you doing?

[@andyelliott8027]

Huge money for a couple of days work, they'd be crazy not to.

[@yell50]

As far as British tv advertising was concerned people of colour just did not exist, i think this started to change slightly around 1978 it was only around 1980 when things dramatically changed to be more inclusive with people of colour.

[@nicholasroberts6954]

That's not "Lummers" @ 08:00 in the Nimble girlfriend swimming ad ?

[@RegCostello]

Was that Joanna Lumley diving into the river?

[@timbentinck]

Yup. See description.

[@SadAnorak]

It's amazing that your father was so influential in writing and producing such iconic adverts as Mr. Kipling, Nimble (my fave ads), Kraft, Ribena and Mothers pride amongst many others. You justifiably must be so proud!

[@christinebide7853]

Grate to see the wonderful Joanna lumley diving in the water in the nimble ad.

[@spmoran4703]

Mr Kipling's cakes were made in the town I live in . Down the street of the bakery , there was always the smell of boiling jam and vanilla.

[@travellingunderpants]

Hi Tim, thank you for posting this. Watching brought back so many childhood memories! I remember we only had Nimble bread for car journeys as my father was convinced this made "less crumbs" - not sure how true this was but we all sang "she's as light as a bird" as we munched and made a mess lol. Thanks again 😉

[@trytellingthetruth.2068]

The voice overs today are a mix of West Indies/London. Innt bro.

[@malcolmclements9254]

Loved the Nimble and Martini adds real 70s.

[@bryanfranks3205]

Love Nimble and buy it regularly but is 50 calories a slice now?

[@Sjmby95]

She flies like a bird

[@stephenlever419]

Another world then !! Everyone happy to identify as either a man or woman

[@nerkoids]

Okay, that butter advert gets me every time. They should still run it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3i5gISNfdaHoM0

[@williamr3840]

Joanna Lumley in the river-plunge Nimble ad? :0)

[@sibionic]

Is that Joanna Lumley in the 60s black and white NImble advert? (jumping into the river!). Spotted!

[@knyvette]

It is.

[@timbentinck]

It is. I was 10 and she held my hand. Been in love ever since!

[@gateshut9]

You must be very proud of your father. These adverts are part of my growing up i remember them very well. I used to love the Peal and Dean music at the Cinema. On Television in the days of these commercials people used to look forward to the adverts they were that good.

[@Funkstar124]

Notice the kid in the Ribena ad doesn't smile as all his teeth had rotted out!

[@timbentinck]

Ha! Yes I've lost many teeth since then. Implants and bridges keep me going! www.timbentinck.com/

[@simonspiro7828]

These ads bring back such intense memories, thank you Tim. I sang many of the TV ads during the late 70's and 80's. I also remember the Shredded Wheat female vocal, very iconic. JWT gave me agreat living. Does anyone remember 3 ads... First, the Carling Black Label song, Secondly, the original Toblerone ad, and of course the iconic Bacharach "Martini" - not the US version, but the UK one. Aaah, memories! Best, Simon

[@Htiler]

8:05 when she came back up I thought "Thank God! "

[@morespywareforyou2262]

Mother's Pride was frickin' awful.

[@rangersasc]

WOW actual English people in England imagine that

[@timbentinck]

Thank you. Yes I am, he was an extraordinary man.

[@timbentinck]

'Fraid not. My father, despite being completely tone deaf, wrote all the songs for these adverts. He actually once got Johnny Dankworth and Cleo Lane to record a musical that he wrote! 'Rita' was just the best name to rhyme with 'choosy eater'!

[@63mckenzie]

Ribena: brought to you by the British Dentists' Retirement Fund.