History of Advertising Trust wins National Lottery support

The History of Advertising Trust (HAT) has received a National Lottery grant of £8,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for an exciting project, ‘Inspiring Minds In Conversation With’ which aims to uncover the inspiration behind some of the most iconic adverts of the last 50 years.
 

Advertising influences and reflects our lives, often becoming part of our memories and everyday experiences. Do you remember the Martians for Cadbury’s Smash or the boy pushing his bread delivery bike up the enormous hill for Hovis? More recently, John Lewis Christmas campaigns and a particular meerkat have delighted, amused and even caused us to shed a tear or two.
 

Cadbury's Smash - Martians - 1973

HAT works with agencies, brands and designers to protect adverts as a valuable part of our heritage. They can then be used for research, public interest and to inspire creative minds into the future.

This project will discover and record the origins of the inspiration behind the most famous ad campaigns which are now held in the HAT Archives in Norfolk. It has been made possible by money raised by National Lottery players and is very timely – after all many of the creative minds behind our most memorable adverts are reaching retirement age. Now is the time to capture and protect their memories of a different era.

The oral history behind some of these great campaigns truly brings them to life and allows us to understand the thinking behind them. This is living history in action and will be valuable for generations to come. HAT is delighted to have employed Jane Jarvis, who worked for  ITV Anglia, to film and record the interviews.


Jane Jarvis in the interviewers chair

Commenting on the award, Geoffrey Russell Chair of HAT Trustees said: “We are thrilled to have received support thanks to National Lottery players. As a member of the advertising world, I have worked with some of these inspiring and creative minds over the years and it is fantastic to use HAT’s archives to capture such valuable memories. These people, the likes of which we won’t get again, offer us the unique chance to learn the secrets behind their brilliance.”

Robyn Llewellyn, Head of HLF East of England, said: “We’re delighted that National Lottery players’ money can support HAT to save the stories of the people behind some of the most iconic and recognisable adverts of the last 50 years. This project will give an invaluable insight into the development of household brands and campaigns and record how the industry has changed over the years.”

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