Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet
"Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet" is one of the most famous British advertising campaigns for a tobacco product. It was a long-running campaign for Hamlet Cigars, lasting on television until all tobacco advertising on television was banned in the UK in 1991.[1] They returned in cinemas in 1996, continuing there until 1999.[2]
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[edit] History
Commercials used an excerpt from a jazzy rendition of Bach's Air on the G String, played by the then young Jacques Loussier, which is still frequently associated with the brand.[3]
The advertisements featured in television, radio and cinema commercials, various print media, and on billboards. The slogan and the entire campaign was created by the Collett Dickenson Pearce agency in 1966. The premise is that a man finds himself in an awkward or embarrassing situation and lights a Hamlet cigar. Lighting and smoking this cigar makes him smile and forget his woes. The campaign branched out from traditional advertising, even publishing a book of cartoons based on the idea.
These adverts were often mocked, most notably on The Kenny Everett Television Show.
[edit] Celebrity appearances
Numerous celebrities appeared in the adverts, including:
- Ian Botham [4]
- Ronnie Corbett
- Gregor Fisher in the guise of his "Baldy Man" character (from Naked Video), attempting to use a photo booth [1]
[edit] Recognition
- The advert was listed as the eighth greatest television advert of all time by Channel 4 in 2000.[5] Both the original Channel 4 ident and a Hamlet advert spoofing the ident were made by Martin Lambie-Nairn.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ Tobacco Key Dates in the Campaign to ban Tobacco Advertising | ASH
- ^ Happiness.. WAS a cigar ad by Hamlet; CAMPAIGN GOES UP IN SMOKE | The Mirror
- ^ Brand Strategy. February 2006. "Orchestrating a sound strategy, Lesson Four: Be creative, be distinct and remember that nobody is listening!". Accessed 8 August 2006.
- ^ History of Advertising Trust Archive. "CDP: one of the greatest advertising agencies ever". Accessed 8 August 2006.
- ^ TheCustard.tv. "The 100 Greatest Television Adverts". Accessed 8 August 2006.
- ^ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/inside-story-martin-lambienairn--king-of-the-idents-760463.html
[edit] External links
- AdSlogans.com, includes links to a print ad and television commercial in QuickTime and Windows Media Player format
- Hamlet Cigar Cartoons
- A video on YouTube, uploaded by Lambie-Nairn, without any reference to Hamlet.
- retrospective collection of Hamlet adverts presented by Willie Rushton in 1992
