Pearl & Dean
Encyclopedia
Pearl & Dean is primarily known as a British
cinema
advertising
company. It was founded in 1953 by brothers Ernie and Charles Pearl, and Bob Dean.
Pearl & Dean is now owned by Image Ltd, and controls numerous UK cinema sites including leading multiplex operators such as Empire
, Showcase
, Apollo
, AMC
and represents approximately half of the UK's independent cinemas.
) who followed the Directors when they left to form the company upon obtaining the advertising rights in the ABC Cinemas, the first time that group had accepted advertising in their cinemas.
In 1966 Pearl & Dean formed a subsidiary company called Radiovision Broadcast International (RBI) to represent the marketing interests of the American Broadcasting Company
radio and television stations in Europe. During the same year, the company signed an exclusive contract to represent the sale of advertising time on the offshore pirate radio
stations Swinging Radio England
and Britain Radio. This contract with the offshore stations became mired in controversy due to lack of sales and it led to the headline-making bankruptcy of the original London management company for the two offshore radio stations that had been created by a private investment group formed by Don Pierson
of Eastland
, Texas
.
Pearl & Dean were acquired by British Lion Films
in 1969, following a successful decade for the company, having 52% of the market share in cinema advertising, over Presbury, Faber Advertising Services and Rank Organisation
. A few years later they changed owners to Mills & Allen. Around the same time, Rank acquired Presbury and Faber. However, under Mills & Allen's ownership, their share depleted to a 12%, an all time low for the company.
In 1993, Pearl & Dean were acquired by Mediavision, a French cinema advertising contractor and their fortunes started to improve. In 1999 the company was bought out by Scottish Media Group (now STV Group).
After years on the market, the company was sold for £1 on 21 April 2010 to Image Ltd, a company backed by Thomas Anderson, a Director of Empire Cinemas
.
It was largely known for supplying advertisements for Warner Cinemas before being renamed Warner Village Cinemas
and then at present Vue Cinemas throughout the 1990s/2000s. On January 1, 2011, Vue's advertising contract was taken over by Digital Cinema Media
.
arranger Pete Moore, which, according to the company, has become as instantly recognisable as Big Ben
's chimes. It was sampled by Goldbug
in their 1996 cover version of "Whole Lotta Love
", which peaked at number 3 in the UK Singles Chart
. The tune can be heard on the Pearl & Dean website. The introduction of the new titles accompanied by the "Asteroid" music saw the disappearance of the well known Grecian
Pillars which had been used since the formation of the company and which had been used in several spoof comedy sketches on television, including Monty Python
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
company. It was founded in 1953 by brothers Ernie and Charles Pearl, and Bob Dean.
Pearl & Dean is now owned by Image Ltd, and controls numerous UK cinema sites including leading multiplex operators such as Empire
Empire Cinemas
Empire Cinemas Limited is a multiplex cinema chain in the UK. There are 17 Empire Cinemas with 141 screens in total, including the flagship Empire Cinema in Leicester Square, London which hosts various film premières and first-runs.-Ownership & Management:...
, Showcase
Showcase Cinemas
Showcase Cinemas is a movie theater chain owned and operated by National Amusements. Operating more than 1,354 indoor screens in the United States, United Kingdom and Latin America.-USA:* Connecticut* Massachusetts* Ohio* New Jersey* Rhode Island...
, Apollo
Apollo Cinemas
Apollo Cinemas is a locally focused, independently owned multiplex cinema operator in the United Kingdom. Its stated mission is to welcome, engage and delight local audiences with a variety of onscreen entertainment and well designed, comfortable cinemas...
, AMC
AMC Cinemas
AMC Cinemas is a cinema company in the United Kingdom, France and Hong Kong. It is a division of AMC Theatres of Kansas City, Missouri, United States.- UK :...
and represents approximately half of the UK's independent cinemas.
Brief corporate history
Pearl & Dean was formed in 1953 by Ernie and Charles Pearl and Bob Dean to sell advertising on British cinema screens prior to the showing of the main feature. The short adverts with which British cinema audiences quickly became familiar, were the idea of Joe Morris (born Joseph Iglitsky) one of Pearl & Dean's in-house advertising executives. The initial staffing of Pearl & Dean was by members of staff of Theatre Publicity and Langfords (The Rank OrganisationRank Organisation
The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment company formed during 1937 and absorbed in 1996 by The Rank Group Plc. It was the largest and most vertically-integrated film company in Britain, owning production, distribution and exhibition facilities....
) who followed the Directors when they left to form the company upon obtaining the advertising rights in the ABC Cinemas, the first time that group had accepted advertising in their cinemas.
In 1966 Pearl & Dean formed a subsidiary company called Radiovision Broadcast International (RBI) to represent the marketing interests of the American Broadcasting Company
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
radio and television stations in Europe. During the same year, the company signed an exclusive contract to represent the sale of advertising time on the offshore pirate radio
Pirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...
stations Swinging Radio England
Swinging Radio England
Swinging Radio England was a top 40 offshore commercial station billed as the "World's Most Powerful" that operated from 3 May 1966 to 13 November 1966 from a ship in the North Sea, three and a half miles off Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, England...
and Britain Radio. This contract with the offshore stations became mired in controversy due to lack of sales and it led to the headline-making bankruptcy of the original London management company for the two offshore radio stations that had been created by a private investment group formed by Don Pierson
Don Pierson
Donald Grey Pierson was a businessman and civic leader in Eastland, Texas. He founded the British pirate stations Wonderful Radio London, Swinging Radio England and Britain Radio during the 1960s...
of Eastland
Eastland, Texas
Eastland is a city in Eastland County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,769 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Eastland County.During the 1920s, Eastland, like nearby Cisco, Ranger, and Desdemona, were petroleum boomtowns....
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Pearl & Dean were acquired by British Lion Films
British Lion Films
British Lion Films Corporation is a film production and distribution company active under several forms since 1919. Until 1976 they were also film distributors as British Lion Films Ltd, with a distributor filmography of 232 films. As a production company they are still active and have produced...
in 1969, following a successful decade for the company, having 52% of the market share in cinema advertising, over Presbury, Faber Advertising Services and Rank Organisation
Rank Organisation
The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment company formed during 1937 and absorbed in 1996 by The Rank Group Plc. It was the largest and most vertically-integrated film company in Britain, owning production, distribution and exhibition facilities....
. A few years later they changed owners to Mills & Allen. Around the same time, Rank acquired Presbury and Faber. However, under Mills & Allen's ownership, their share depleted to a 12%, an all time low for the company.
In 1993, Pearl & Dean were acquired by Mediavision, a French cinema advertising contractor and their fortunes started to improve. In 1999 the company was bought out by Scottish Media Group (now STV Group).
After years on the market, the company was sold for £1 on 21 April 2010 to Image Ltd, a company backed by Thomas Anderson, a Director of Empire Cinemas
Empire Cinemas
Empire Cinemas Limited is a multiplex cinema chain in the UK. There are 17 Empire Cinemas with 141 screens in total, including the flagship Empire Cinema in Leicester Square, London which hosts various film premières and first-runs.-Ownership & Management:...
.
It was largely known for supplying advertisements for Warner Cinemas before being renamed Warner Village Cinemas
Warner Village Cinemas
Warner Village Cinemas UK was a chain of multiplex cinemas operated by Warner Brothers in the United Kingdom. Created in November 1996, it was a joint venture between Warner Bros.Intl. Theatres and Village Roadshow Australia. In the UK the chain was subsequently purchased by SBC International...
and then at present Vue Cinemas throughout the 1990s/2000s. On January 1, 2011, Vue's advertising contract was taken over by Digital Cinema Media
Digital Cinema Media
Digital Cinema Media is an advertising company first formed in July 2008 by Cineworld Group plc and Odeon Cinemas Ltd. The firm supplies cinema advertisements to both of the company's cinema chains....
.
Asteroid
Pearl & Dean is well-known for its distinctive theme tune entitled Asteroid, composed in 1968 by BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
arranger Pete Moore, which, according to the company, has become as instantly recognisable as Big Ben
Clock Tower, Palace of Westminster
Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and is generally extended to refer to the clock or the clock tower as well. It is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third-tallest free-standing clock tower in the world...
's chimes. It was sampled by Goldbug
Goldbug (band)
Goldbug were a British band in the 1990s. Formed in Brighton in 1995 by a former member of the Beatmasters, Richard Walmsley and DJ Adil Magik, with a session vocalist, Sandy McKenzie, who was recruited through an advertisement in Melody Maker....
in their 1996 cover version of "Whole Lotta Love
Whole Lotta Love
"Whole Lotta Love" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is featured as the opening track on the band's second album, Led Zeppelin II, and was released in the United States and Japan as a single. The US release became their first hit single, it was certified Gold on 13 April 1970, when it...
", which peaked at number 3 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The tune can be heard on the Pearl & Dean website. The introduction of the new titles accompanied by the "Asteroid" music saw the disappearance of the well known Grecian
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
Pillars which had been used since the formation of the company and which had been used in several spoof comedy sketches on television, including Monty Python
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
.
External links
- Pearl & Dean (www.pearlanddean.com)
- Pearl & Dean - Business
- MediaRepublic