Lego, Skoda and Sport England TV ads among best of the past 70 years, study finds
ITV has revealed 70 of the UK’s top television ads from the past seven decades, including the top seven for cultural impact and creative effectiveness, to mark 70 years since the launch of commercial TV advertising.
TV ads from brands including Lego, Skoda, Compare the Market and Sport England have been ranked by ITV as the UK’s best from the past seven decades, as it marks 70 years since the launch of commercial TV advertising.
The broadcaster partnered with D&AD and creative effectiveness platform System1 on ‘Living Room Legends – The First 70 Years of TV Ad Excellence’, a report highlighting 70 ads aired on ITV since its first broadcast on 22 September 1955.
Ads were selected based on cultural impact, creative recognition through D&AD awards, and commercial effectiveness assessed by System1’s quantitative model. System1 measured effectiveness using emotional engagement metrics, brand recognition and speed of recognition.
The report shows emotion as a key driver of advertising success. Across the 70 ads, 45% of viewers reported feeling happiness, 12 percentage points above the UK TV average of 33%.
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“For 70 years, ITV has catapulted brilliant commercial creativity into the nation’s psyche and powered the growth of the businesses and brands behind it,” says ITV’s director of client strategy and commercial marketing, Kate Waters.
“Our list celebrates individual ads, but many of these also represent enduring campaigns or have a cultural impact that lasts until this very day.”
System1 tested the 70 ads with 10,000 consumers against a benchmark of more than 35,000 UK TV ads. They averaged 4.1 Stars on the platform’s scale of effectiveness, well above the 2.7 Stars recorded for ads aired in the past year.
“The best advertising is so entertaining, and so emotional, that it sticks with people forever,” explains Jon Evans, chief customer officer at System1. “There are ads from 60 years ago in this report that score top marks on our effectiveness scale, alongside the best of TV advertising today.”
The report identifies seven “timeless elements” for making great TV advertising. These include unconventional ideas, dramatic emotion and extraordinary craft. It also identifies four “building blocks” shared across decades: imaginative repetition, cultural relevance, entertainment value and romancing the product.
Together, these techniques underpin ads that continue to resonate with audiences years after their debut.
The ‘Magnificent 7’
The report also analyses seven standout examples in depth, showcasing common traits of effective advertising. They were chosen by industry creatives, strategists and marketers and singled out for being “rich” in the timeless themes.
1973: Cadbury’s Smash – Martians (BMP)
This campaign introduced the Smash Martians, robots who observed and mocked humans for making mashed potatoes from scratch. The ad played on the public’s interest in space and used humour to promote instant mash.
1981: Lego – Kipper (TBWA Limited)
The animated ad featured a child’s narration of a Kipper poem alongside Lego creations. It highlighted the brand’s focus on creativity.
2007: Skoda – Cake (Fallon)
In this ad, a team of bakers constructed a full-sized Skoda Fabia entirely out of cake. The execution was designed to shift consumer perceptions of the brand.
2008: Compare the Market – Aleksandr (VCCP)
The campaign introduced Aleksandr the meerkat, who contrasted his website with price comparison sites. The character quickly became central to the brand’s communications.
2012: British Heart Foundation – Vinnie (Grey London)
Actor Vinnie Jones fronted this ad, which demonstrated hands-only CPR to the beat of the Bee Gees’ Stayin’ Alive. The aim was to deliver a simple, memorable public health message.
2013-14: The Pony – Three Mobile (Wieden & Kennedy)
A Shetland pony moonwalking to Fleetwood Mac’s Everywhere featured in this campaign, which aligned with Three’s positioning around light-hearted entertainment.
2014-15: Sport England – This Girl Can (FCB Inferno)
The campaign showed women of different ages, abilities and backgrounds being physically active, aiming to encourage wider participation in sport and exercise.
The top 70 ads of the past 70 years
| Toothpaste | Gibbs SR | 1955 |
| Work, Rest & Play | Mars | 1959 |
| The Milkybar Kid | Milkybar | 1961 |
| Schhh… You-Know-Who | Schweppes | 1963 |
| Beanz Meanz Heinz | Heinz | 1967 |
| Martians | Smash | 1973 |
| Secret Lemonade Drinker | R. White’s | 1973 |
| Boy on the Bike | Hovis | 1974 |
| Finishing School | Parker | 1975 |
| Honey Monster | Sugar Puffs | 1976 |
| Collins & Rossiter | Cinzano | 1978 |
| Put the Freshness Back | Shake n’ Vac | 1979 |
| Just One Cornetto | Cornetto | 1980 |
| Kipper | Lego | 1981 |
| J. R. Hartley | Yellow Pages | 1983 |
| Remember Preston | OXO | 1983 |
| Water in Majorca | Heineken | 1984 |
| Laundrette | Levi’s | 1985 |
| Casino | Volkswagen | 1985 |
| Points of View | The Guardian | 1986 |
| Gold Blend Couple | Nescafé | 1987 |
| Photo Booth | Hamlet | 1987 |
| AIDS Tombstone | UK Govt | 1987 |
| Ology | BT | 1988 |
| Accrington Stanley | Milk Marketing Board | 1989 |
| Global Face | British Airways | 1989 |
| Dambusters | Carling | 1989 |
| Creature Comforts | Heat Electric | 1991 |
| Rug | Barclaycard | 1991 |
| Orange Man | Tango | 1991 |
| Quick Drying Woodstain | Ronseal | 1994 |
| Diet Coke Break | Coca-Cola | 1996 |
| Dream Date | Lynx | 1997 |
| Parklife | Nike | 1997 |
| Surfer | Guinness | 1999 |
| Double Life | PlayStation | 1999 |
| Bear | John West | 2000 |
| Ball Skills | John Smiths | 2002 |
| The Slag of all Snacks | Pot Noodle | 2002 |
| Cog | Honda | 2003 |
| Silhouette | Apple | 2003 |
| Balls | Sony | 2005 |
| Skating Priests | Stella Artois | 2005 |
| Old Lions | Carlsberg | 2006 |
| Evolution (Real Beauty) | Dove | 2006 |
| Gorilla | Cadbury | 2007 |
| Cake | Škoda | 2007 |
| Dance | T-Mobile | 2007 |
| Collywobble | Specsavers | 2008 |
| Compare the Meerkat | Compare the Market | 2009 |
| Ahhh | PG Tips | 2011 |
| Tea | Aldi | 2011 |
| Kaiser Chiefs | Yorkshire Tea | 2011 |
| The Long Wait | John Lewis | 2011 |
| Meet the Superhumans | Channel 4 | 2012 |
| Vinnie | British Heart Foundation | 2012 |
| You’re Not You When You’re Hungry | Snickers | 2012 |
| Mutation | NHS (Smokefree) | 2013 |
| The Pony | 3 Mobile | 2013 |
| Marmite Neglect | Marmite | 2013 |
| 1914 (Xmas Ad) | Sainsburys | 2014 |
| This Girl Can | Sport England | 2015 |
| Adventure Awaits | Lurpak | 2015 |
| Cancer is Happening RIGHT NOW | CRUK | 2015 |
| New Boyfriend | Malteasers | 2016 |
| Clowns | Audi | 2018 |
| Viva La Vulva | Bodyform | 2018 |
| Did Somebody Say (feat. Snoop Dogg) | Just Eat | 2021 |
| Just Imagine, A Christmas Love Story | National Lottery | 2022 |
| Raise Your Arches | McDonald’s | 2023 |
