Opening for Easter, the National Motor Museum’s latest exhibition, ‘ProMotion’, showcases a number of vehicles that illustrate the imaginative and fun techniques companies have used to promote their products over the years.
At the beginning of the 20th century, motorised transportation was a new and developing trend that would quickly become an integral and indispensable part of the modern world. It was not long before passenger cars and trucks began to appear in increasing numbers on the expanding road network.
With perhaps a certain inevitability, those involved in commerce recognised the unrivalled opportunity to advertise their services or products on the sides of the vehicles. Such ‘rolling billboards’ were an ideal method of advertising to wider audiences in towns and cities. In the US, during a period when sign-written advertising on vehicles was rapidly increasing, another trend was developing that would go a stage further in product promotion.
Whilst the earliest vehicles tended to advertise food, confectionary and beverages, in more recent years they have promoted a more diverse range of products. With each passing decade it has seemed that the widespread availability of advertising media on radio and TV, and more recently the Internet, might deplete the marketing value of these quirky vehicles, but this has not been the case. New promotional vehicles continue to be built today and remain hugely popular wherever they appear.
On display in ‘ProMotion’ are the following vehicles:
Worthington Bottle Delivery Truck - 1930s
When Bass took over Worthington in 1927, they inherited five of the Daimler lorries, built in the early 1920s on 4,962cc 6-cylinder chassis. Generally used for advertising purposes they could carry a small load of crates and bottles in the rear.
Duckham’s Oil Can - 1969
In 1973, Duckhams launched a lubricating oil called New Formula Q. Rally ace, Paddy Hopkirk was contracted to feature in a five-week television campaign and as an advertising gimmick, a giant three metre high oil can was built on Mini underpinnings.
Outspan Orange - 1972
Outspan commissioned six of these advertising vehicles between 1972 and 1974 at a total cost of £20,000. The company used them extensively for advertising campaigns in Britain, France and Germany. One example was, until recently, still in use in South Africa.
Cadbury Crème Egg - 1988
Cadbury Schweppes plc commissioned a number of these Crème Egg cars in the late-1980s. Based at the Cadbury World visitor centre at Bournville in Birmingham, they could also be seen at many events around the country from New Year to the lead up to Easter.
Bushy’s Beer Bottle - 1990
Bushy's Brewery was founded by Martin Brunnschweiler on the Isle of Man in January 1986. Today, Bushy's bottle vans are well-known not only in the Isle of Man, but around Britain, Europe and even at Daytona Bike Week, Florida, USA, turning heads and promoting both Bushy's beers and the Isle of Man.
Bird’s Eye Pea -2005
The Pea car first appeared in a Birds Eye television advertisement in December 2005. London-based special effects company, Asylum, took six weeks to build the car using a heavily modified chassis from an off-road go-kart fitted with a Honda engine. Weighing just 750kg, it was capable of 50mph even though it had no gears.
Hogs Back Brewery Motorcycle - 2006
The Beer Engine was initially built in 2006 to compete in the "Bike of the Year Award" run by Discovery Channel's Biker Build Off programme. Unfortunately, it couldn't win as there was no category for a motorcycle and sidecar. Every August, the machine draws a large crowd at the Great British Beer Festival, Earls Court.
