03 September 2010

Liverpool adverts

I remember this advert from the early 90s fairly vividly, from widely-parodied ‘it’s not at all work, work, work’ to its stunning soundtrack, the wonderful Jan Hammer’s Crockett’s Theme, which manages to make filling up a sodding cash machine seem exciting and dangerous.

It’s notable for its shots of Liverpool and the Castle Street branch of NatWest, which is actually where I bank these days. Those impressive iron gates are still in place, even if the interior seems to have had something of a makeover.

It got me thinking - sure there’s your Boys From the Blackstuff and Bread and GBH - but are there any other examples of Liverpool seen on adverts? I can think of a Hovis one somewhere around Catharine Street and a National Lottery one around Water Street (?).

Not forgetting, of course, this Foxy Bingo thing, shot on Lark Lane. I walked past some of the decked-out shops the day before and went to bed chuffed with the knowledge that a new bakery was opening on the Lane.

Sadly, it was just a giant, lecherous, gambling Mancunian fox. C’est la Vie. eh?

• What other evidence exists of our lovely city in advertising? Surely there’s a Bread spoof, or something at Anfield, or something about The Beatles? Let us know below.

Your Comments

12 Comments so far

  1. The whole of this Hovis advert was filmed in Liverpool, not just in the Georgian Quarter (Percy Street was the location of the Suffragettes bit, and Falkner Street the first world war sequence).

    There’s also a Vodafone ad from the 90s(?) that shows the Pier Head and focuses on Pilgrim Street.

  2. This Ladbrokes ad no doubt took advantage of the empty weekend streets in the commercial district:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ODGv-VtjdU

    while the RAC use Liverpool and New Brighton to represent the whole of the UK:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiA8sWSCGYQ

  3. Robin says:

    I’d forgotten that Vodaphone ad, even more bizarre since that link points to my blog.

  4. Andy says:

    Milk, who could forget Accccccrington Stanley??

  5. Lydia says:

    There was also an Injury Lawyers for You advert with him-off-the-bill that was shot in Unity on Chapel Street (although they intercut it with skyline shots of London to make it look like it was filmed there).

    I’m almost ashamed that I know this.

  6. Lydia says:

    here’s a link for the IL4U advert

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS_zcPOzb1k

  7. Ursula Hardaker says:

    Sainsbury’s Jamie Oliver advert for Christmas 2009 was shot in Liverpool. The film crew had spent hours outside the Liver Building and were ready to shoot when the RLB fire alarms went off and nearly 2000 of us trooped outside to spoil the shot. The finished ad only had a fleeting glimpse of the Liver Buildings clock tower in the opening second.

  8. Peter says:

    1987 Coca Cola advert filmed in St George’s Hall: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4B7FTSlXBM

  9. Carol says:

    Ladbrokes Bingo - the giant sphere balls rolling all around Liverpool inc St Georges Hall steps.
    Link to the making of it:
    http://bingo.ladbrokes.com/en/bingo-tv-adverts/go-bingo-advert

  10. Richard Buxton says:

    Technically not advertising but Melwood and Anfield were used in the filming of Scully:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3Ai8q_0e8o

  11. Joe says:

    Surely this is one of the best…

    Nike’s Fernando Torres ad from last year.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8cDvm26VYI


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