Hovis (Ads Part 1)

Hovis recently filmed a new ad that premiered in the UK in September 2008. Some of my friends know that I collect ads that I like (yes, I'm a bit weird), and I have to say I love this ad! Maybe it's also because I'm feeling a bit nostalgic about England, now that I have left. When I first saw the ad, I could see that it depicts some of the historic moments in British history, but it was not until I saw the 'Making-of' that I realised how much I missed. (Watch the ad before reading further to see what you can spot.) The ad is 122 seconds long, and celebrates 122 years of British history. It also marks 122 years Hovis has been around. It employed 762 extras, and used over 800 costumes that are accurate to the period. It marks historic moments in British history starting from 1886 to 2008 including the Titanic, the suffragette movement, World War I, the first motor car, World War II, the 1953 Coronation, the Swinging Sixties, England's celebration of the 1966 World Cup, the miners strike in the 1980s and the fireworks of the Millennium celebration. The total cost of the ad is £15 million pounds, equivalent to the budget of some feature films. Some have commented it's nothing special but I think it's 'bloody brilliant' :)