By Iain Smith
THE changing face of advertising has been highlighted by McVitie’s on the 125th anniversary of the digestive biscuit.
Decades of promotional posters and pictures have been published today providing a “fascinating” insight into British life since the late 1800s.
The ads showcase the evolution in social trends, from marketing biscuits as nourishing to encouraging housewives to ply their families with the treat at every hour of the day.
Aptly, on National Biscuit Day, it is estimated that Britons now consume 4.4 million digestives every day, but McVitie’s started as a small family run shop in Rose Street, Edinburgh, in 1830.
From there, Robert McVitie built up the company before enlisting the services of Charles Price in 1875.
As McVitie’s & Price, the manufacturer became responsible for some of the most popular biscuits and tea-time snacks in the UK. Among them is the mighty digestive, first created in 1892 by Sir Alexander Grant, which became the subject of a range of varied adverts in its 125-year lifetime.
The biscuit’s name originally came from the inclusion of baking soda in the ingredients, as it was thought to help with digestion.
Consumers of the day were often reminded that digestives were “extra nourishing”, owning to the biscuits’ “specially selected wheat and the fresh butter”.
The products were also heavily marketed towards a younger generation, with children featuring prominently in their adverts. One poster depicting a small girl drinking from a mug came complete with a speech bubble which read: “[I suspect] it’s those McVitie and Price biscuits that make my milk taste so much nicer.”
Housewives were also a target audience, with one poster illustrated by a woman leaving the home and prompting herself: “...And I must remember to buy some McVitie and Price biscuits.”
In a poster that is particularly anachronistic, the company provided hourly reminders for female home-makers to supply the family with Digestives.
At 11am “Madge pops in from next door for a gossip” and should be welcomed with a biscuit, while at 2pm the ad asserts “a couple of digestives will give you the strength to face the ironing”.
Children should also receive an after-school snack before 7pm rolls around and the audiences are reminded to “give your husband a Digestive with his slippers”.
Their latest #Sweeet advertising campaign features Corgi puppies and British Shorthair kittens in an attempt to portray the emotional response people should have when eating the humble digestive.
Kerry Owens, McVitie’s marketing director, said: “Original McVitie’s Digestives have truly stood the test of time and remain one of the UK’s favourite biscuits even 125 years on.
“We’re delighted to reveal this fascinating collection of adverts through the ages, which not only offers an intriguing insight into British culture, but also the original McVitie’s digestives strong prominence in British culture through the ages and our long-standing British heritage that we’re all extremely proud of.”
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