Creativity In The Age Of Calories

With the government’s new restrictions on Less Healthy Food (LHF) now in effect - turning every creative brief into a nutritional calculation - it feels timely to look back at some of the ads this sector inspired over the years that perhaps couldn't run now (before 9pm at least).

Many weren’t just ads - they were cultural touchstones. They defined eras, catchphrases, even political moods. Think of Tango's 'St George', for example.

But as sugar, salt, and fat have been recast as public enemies, the exuberance that once defined British food and drink advertising has to a large degree been replaced by earnestness. We’ve traded drumming gorillas for oat-milk manifestos and kale-washed storytelling. It’s nobler, perhaps. But is it as much fun?

We’ve skipped the obvious choices - Cadbury Dairy Milk’s 'Gorilla', McDonald’s 'Raise the Arches', Burger King’s 'Mouldy Whopper', Smash 'Martians', and so on - not because they’re not classics, but because they’ve already been well-digested.

Instead, here’s a look (in no particular order) at some less-celebrated greats that helped sell food now deemed beyond the pale during daylight hours. The products may have fallen foul of fashion, but LHF advertising produced a bellyful of creativity. These spots remind us that the industry’s real genius was never in selling sugar - it was in selling joy. And joy, thank goodness, remains untaxable (for now).

1998, Pizza Hut, 'Mikhail Gorbachev'

The last leader of the Soviet Union starred in this 1998 TV ad for Pizza Hut. Filmed in Red Square and in a Moscow restaurant, the BBDO-created spot aired internationally but not in Russia. Gorbachev was reportedly paid $1m for his appearance — and the image of him sharing a slice with ordinary Muscovites remains one of advertising’s most surreal moments.

2004, Nik Naks, 'Alien chestburster'

This gleefully grotesque parody of Alien’s infamous chestburster scene saw a man convulse mid-snack before a giant Nik Nak burst from his torso. The horrified onlookers (a nod to Ridley Scott’s crew) then broke into dance.

The ad sparked complaints for being offensive but was ultimately cleared by regulators, who ruled it unlikely to upset viewers or cause widespread offence. Today, just the sight of one of those crisps in an ad would have the ASA convulsing.

1993, Pot Noodle, 'Computer Graphic'

American-Canadian comedian Phil Hartman fronted this 1993 'Pot TV' campaign, playing a bombastic newscaster amid a frenetic montage of sound and visuals. The psychedelic strobing proved so intense that it caused seizures in some viewers and was swiftly banned in the UK.

A slightly under-celebrated classic, it was a striking early example of how surrealism and early CGI could sell instant noodles with sheer sensory overload.

2004, Tango, 'Pipes'

No LHF list would be complete without a banned Tango ad - but we’ve avoided the obvious. This one showed a man rolled inside a carpet and sent down a pipe via goat pull. The ASA banned it on safety grounds, fearing children might copy it. As ever with Tango, the controversy only made it more talked about

1976, Sugar Puffs, 'The Honey Monster'

The Honey Monster first appeared in 1976 and became the sugary, slapstick face of Sugar Puffs throughout the decade. Alongside The Benny Hill Show’s Henry McGee, the large, furry yellow creature caused mild mayhem in every spot. Looking back, it’s remarkable that a cereal could flaunt its sugar content proudly in its very name.

2002, Yorkie, 'It's Not For Girls'

A particularly memorable (and hopelessly dated) campaign from when chocolate brands decided which gender could eat what. Yorkie declared itself 'Not for Girls' - a line that wasn’t dropped until 2011. Both men and women could then enjoy their chocolate in peace. Needless to say, Piers Morgan called the original ad “great”.

2008, Cadbury Creme Egg, 'Twisted'

Taking a dark, horror-tinged approach to Easter, this spot delivered genuine shock value - and was wonderfully different from the drumming gorilla. It showed that Cadbury could still have fun with sugar, even when it got a little sinister.

1990, Sun-Pat, 'Our Son Pat'

Who knew that the Scouse accent worked so well when it came to reciting poetry - or at least that's how good the writing for this classic peanut butter ad comes across. Its appealing visuals and clever narration positively sing to children's appetites while retaining the sunny aesthetic of the 80s that would soon fade with the start into the 90s.

1990s, 7Up, 'Fido Dido'

Fido Dido, the lanky, line-drawn doodle, somehow made 7Up cool. Floating through life in his scribbled shorts, armed only with a can of sugary “Uncola,” he became the personification of laid-back rebellion. Created in the late 80s, the minimalist animation and jazz soundtracks made the campaign feel effortlessly modern.

80s, Mighty White Bread

Practically promising young British lads that they'll have extraordinary strength if they eat their bleached white bread with 30 per cent more fibre is a strange conceit now given sourdough is king of the bakery aisle. The ad also capitalised on the British obsession with Australian beaches from watching Home and Away and Neighbours,

2013, Marmite, 'End Marmite Neglect'

Marmite’s mockumentary campaign spoofed animal welfare charities to highlight how even loyal fans neglected their jars at the back of the cupboard. It was witty, self-aware, and very British - turning the brand’s famous 'Love it or Hate it' divide into an affectionate public-service announcement.

1998, Sunny Delight, 'Reach For The Sun'

And finally, perhaps the most egregious example of food advertising masquerading as healthy. SunnyD’s sun-drenched kids ran around in an orange-glow utopia, promising fun, vitamins, and vitality - despite the drink being more sugar than sunshine.

The product was ultimately withdrawn after sales collapsed following the infamous 'yellow skin' scandal. A fittingly lurid end for a brand that tried to bottle the sun and ended up imitating it a little too literally.

Once upon a time, some of Britain’s most memorable ads simultaneously made our hearts sing and our teeth ache. They were outrageous, irreverent, and unashamedly fun. Now, as marketers calculate the calorific impact of every concept, it’s worth remembering that creativity - like sugar - works best when it’s not overly restricted.