Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet
Encyclopedia
"Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet" is one of the most famous British advertising campaign
s for a tobacco
product. It was a long-running campaign for Hamlet Cigars
, lasting on television until all tobacco advertising
on television was banned in the UK in 1991. They returned in cinema
s in 1996, continuing there until 1999.
y rendition of Bach's
Air on the G String
, played by the then young Jacques Loussier
, which is still frequently associated with the brand.
The advertisements featured in television, radio and cinema commercials, various print media, and on billboards. The slogan and the entire campaign was created by the Collett Dickenson Pearce
agency in 1966. The premise is that a man finds himself in an awkward or embarrassing situation and lights a Hamlet cigar. Lighting and smoking this cigar makes him smile and forget his woes. The campaign branched out from traditional advertising, even publishing a book of cartoons based on the idea.
These adverts were often mocked, most notably on The Kenny Everett Television Show
.
Advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...
s for a tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
product. It was a long-running campaign for Hamlet Cigars
Hamlet (cigar)
Hamlet is a well known brand of cigar produced by Japan Tobacco. They are available in several varieties, miniatures and also a regular length. They are regularly referred to as the 'mild cigar' in their advertising....
, lasting on television until all tobacco advertising
Tobacco advertising
Tobacco advertising is the advertising of tobacco products or use by the tobacco industry through a variety of media including sponsorship, particularly of sporting events. It is now one of the most highly regulated forms of marketing...
on television was banned in the UK in 1991. They returned in cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
s in 1996, continuing there until 1999.
History
Commercials used an excerpt from a jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
y rendition of Bach's
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
Air on the G String
Air on the G String
The "Air on the G String" is an adaptation by August Wilhelmj of the Air, the second movement from Johann Sebastian Bach's Orchestral Suite No...
, played by the then young Jacques Loussier
Jacques Loussier
Jacques Loussier is a French pianist and composer. He is well-known for his jazz interpretations in trio formation of many of Johann Sebastian Bach's works, such as the Goldberg Variations.-Early life and education :...
, which is still frequently associated with the brand.
The advertisements featured in television, radio and cinema commercials, various print media, and on billboards. The slogan and the entire campaign was created by the Collett Dickenson Pearce
Collett Dickenson Pearce
Collett Dickenson Pearce & Partners emerged from the "Swinging London" cultural shifts of the 1960s as Britain's most glamorous and influential advertising agency, generally regarded as one of the finest advertising agencies in the world during the 1970s...
agency in 1966. The premise is that a man finds himself in an awkward or embarrassing situation and lights a Hamlet cigar. Lighting and smoking this cigar makes him smile and forget his woes. The campaign branched out from traditional advertising, even publishing a book of cartoons based on the idea.
These adverts were often mocked, most notably on The Kenny Everett Television Show
Kenny Everett
Kenny Everett was an English comedian, radio DJ and television entertainer. Born Maurice James Christopher Cole, Everett is best known for his career as a radio DJ and for the Kenny Everett television shows.-Early life:...
.
Celebrity appearances
Numerous celebrities appeared in the adverts, including:- Ian BothamIan BothamSir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
- Ronnie CorbettRonnie CorbettRonald Balfour "Ronnie" Corbett, OBE is a Scottish actor and comedian of Scottish and English parentage who had a long association with Ronnie Barker in the British television comedy series The Two Ronnies...
- Gregor FisherGregor FisherGregor Fisher is a Scottish comedian and actor.-Early life:Fisher was born in Glasgow and following the death of his parents was brought up in Edinburgh, Langholm and Neilston and attended Barrhead High School...
in the guise of his "Baldy ManBaldy ManThe Baldy Man is a television series starring Gregor Fisher, a Scottish comedian. It was broadcast in two series comprising thirteen episodes on ITV, screening in 1995 and 1997, was made by The Comedy Unit/. The character's chief attribute is his comb over hairstyle as well as his bumbling nature...
" character (from Naked VideoNaked VideoNaked Video was a BBC Scotland comedy series, broadcast between 1986 and 1991 on BBC2, the series was created by Colin Gilbert who also created A Kick Up the Eighties and Naked Radio.-Naked Radio:...
), attempting to use a photo boothPhoto boothA photo booth is a vending machine or modern kiosk that contains an automated, usually coin-operated, camera and film processor. Today the vast majority of photo booths are digital. Traditionally photo booths contain a seat or bench designed to seat the one or two patrons being photographed...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0SbVFxl64A
Recognition
- The advert was listed as the eighth greatest television advert of all time by Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
in 2000. Both the original Channel 4 ident and a Hamlet advert spoofing the ident were made by Martin Lambie-NairnMartin Lambie-NairnMartin Lambie-Nairn is one of the most influential British graphic designers. He was the founder of his eponymous branding agency, Lambie-Nairn & Company, and is currently the creative director of branding agency Heavenly Group Ltd. His work mainly concentrates on brand identity for television...
.
External links
- AdSlogans.com, includes links to a print ad and television commercial in QuickTime and Windows Media Player format
- Hamlet Cigar Cartoons
- A video on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, uploaded by Lambie-NairnLambie-NairnLambie-Nairn is an international branding agency within the WPP Group, headquartered in London with offices in Munich, Madrid, Abu Dhabi and Prague...
, without any reference to Hamlet. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFOPeO2fQq0&feature=relatedretrospective collection of Hamlet adverts presented by Willie RushtonWillie RushtonWilliam George Rushton, commonly known as Willie Rushton was an English cartoonist, satirist, comedian, actor and performer who co-founded the Private Eye satirical magazine.- School and army :William George Rushton was born 18 August 1937 in the family home at Scarsdale Villas,...
in 1992]