Humphreys (Unigate)
The
Unigate produced a series of TV advertisements in the 1970s featuring characters called the Humphreys. The Humphreys were milk thieves whose only visible presence was a red-and-white striped straw with which to suck up the milk. TV personalities of the time, including Barbara Windsor, Arthur Mullard, Rod Hull and Spike Milligan
, featured in the adverts; but the campaign is best known for the slogan: "Watch out, watch out—there's a Humphrey about!" written and sung by Mike Batt.
A merchandising campaign accompanied the adverts; and the Humphrey-themed mugs, milk bottles, and straws are now collectors' items. The campaign was devised by John Webster of the Boase Massimi Pollitt advertising agency. [1]
Celebrities featuring in the Humphrey ads
- Muhammad Ali
- Benny Hill
- Rod Hull
- Sid James
- Henry McGee
- Spike Milligan
- Frank Muir
- Arthur Mullard
- Barbara Windsor
Several campaign stickers were produced, including:
- "Watch Out, Watch Out, There's a Humphrey About", featuring two red-and-white striped straws projecting from a pocket
- "Watch Out for the Humphrey Patrol", featuring a row of the tops of thirteen red and white striped straws
- "Drink it Quick, Humphreys are Slick", featuring a red-and-white striped straw projecting from a partially drunk glass of milk.
Three different full sticker sheets can be seen online.[2]
References
- ^ "49. Humphreys". campaignlive.co.uk. Campaign. Retrieved 2015-03-22.
- ^ "Welcome".
External links
- UK TV Commercials page featuring the lyrics to the Humphrey song.
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