Shake 'n' Vac
Encyclopedia
Shake 'n' Vac is a powdered carpet
freshener
. The powder is shaken onto the carpet before vacuuming
. It is currently marketed and sold in the United Kingdom
by S. C. Johnson & Son
.
The product became well known due to its famous TV commercial during the 1980s, with the advert being voted as one of the most popular TV adverts in Britain.
The product, still available as of today, is primarily remembered for its iconic Dancing Woman TV advert shown until 1989. There has been some controversy over when the advert was first aired. The 100 Greatest TV Adverts programme stated that the ad was first broadcast in 1979, however it was the actual product that went on sale in 1979, with the advert not being aired until 1980 due to the 1979 ITV
Strike.
,
dancing around a typical British living room
in high heels, shaking the powder onto a carpet and vacuuming it up, while appearing to sing a musical jingle
. The main lyric is "do the Shake 'n' Vac, and put the freshness back". The vocals were actually recorded by South African session vocalist, Miriam Stockley
.
The jingle was in a 1950s rock and roll retro style. This style was very popular in the 1970s and 1980s in the UK. In 2000, the advert polled 18th place in the Channel 4
The 100 Greatest TV Adverts programme.
Logan also appeared on This Morning
in 2004 as a guest to talk about the commercial.
In 2010, an updated version of the advert (with Jenny Logan
) was made and published on TV for the public.
The early claim that the advert was originally broadcast in 1979 was disputed. Whilst some researchers pointed to 1980, others believed that the ad first appeared somewhat later. According to the book Box of Delights (ISBN 0333518128), it first appeared in 1985, and this was backed up by the earliest print reference to Shake 'n' Vac being a 1982 newspaper advert. However, it was argued that Ms Logan's clothing and hairstyle and the decor of the room featured in the ad pointed towards the ad being filmed in 1979/1980.
Carpet
A carpet is a textile floor covering consisting of an upper layer of "pile" attached to a backing. The pile is generally either made from wool or a manmade fibre such as polypropylene,nylon or polyester and usually consists of twisted tufts which are often heat-treated to maintain their...
freshener
Air freshener
Air fresheners are consumer products used in homes or commercial products used in restrooms that typically emit fragrance. There are two broad air freshener categories: continuous action and instant action...
. The powder is shaken onto the carpet before vacuuming
Vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner, commonly referred to as a "vacuum," is a device that uses an air pump to create a partial vacuum to suck up dust and dirt, usually from floors, and optionally from other surfaces as well. The dirt is collected by either a dustbag or a cyclone for later disposal...
. It is currently marketed and sold in the United Kingdom
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...
by S. C. Johnson & Son
S. C. Johnson & Son
S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. , previously known as S. C. Johnson Wax , is a privately held, global manufacturer of household cleaning supplies and other consumer chemicals based in Racine, Wisconsin. It has operations in 72 countries and its brands are sold in over 110...
.
The product became well known due to its famous TV commercial during the 1980s, with the advert being voted as one of the most popular TV adverts in Britain.
The product, still available as of today, is primarily remembered for its iconic Dancing Woman TV advert shown until 1989. There has been some controversy over when the advert was first aired. The 100 Greatest TV Adverts programme stated that the ad was first broadcast in 1979, however it was the actual product that went on sale in 1979, with the advert not being aired until 1980 due to the 1979 ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
Strike.
History of the product and advert
First going on air in the early 1980s, the advert featured the English actress Jenny LoganJenny Logan
Jenny Logan is an English actress, trained dancer and singer. Though she played WPC Sally Reed in the TV series Dixon of Dock Green between 1968 and 1969, she is perhaps best known for her appearances as the woman in the television commercial for the carpet freshener Shake'n'Vac which was shot in...
,
dancing around a typical British living room
Living room
A living room, also known as sitting room, lounge room or lounge , is a room for entertaining adult guests, reading, or other activities...
in high heels, shaking the powder onto a carpet and vacuuming it up, while appearing to sing a musical jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
. The main lyric is "do the Shake 'n' Vac, and put the freshness back". The vocals were actually recorded by South African session vocalist, Miriam Stockley
Miriam Stockley
Miriam Stockley is a British singer. She was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and her work is influenced by the African music in her home country. Her unique vocalese style gained international acclaim when Karl Jenkins' launched the "Adiemus" project with "Songs of Sanctuary", featuring...
.
The jingle was in a 1950s rock and roll retro style. This style was very popular in the 1970s and 1980s in the UK. In 2000, the advert polled 18th place in the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 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...
The 100 Greatest TV Adverts programme.
Logan also appeared on This Morning
This Morning (TV series)
This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
in 2004 as a guest to talk about the commercial.
In 2010, an updated version of the advert (with Jenny Logan
Jenny Logan
Jenny Logan is an English actress, trained dancer and singer. Though she played WPC Sally Reed in the TV series Dixon of Dock Green between 1968 and 1969, she is perhaps best known for her appearances as the woman in the television commercial for the carpet freshener Shake'n'Vac which was shot in...
) was made and published on TV for the public.
Controversy
The controversy was due to the ITV industrial action of 1979. Whilst the Shake 'n' Vac product was on sale in shops in 1979, the TV advertising was delayed to 1980. This caused some confusion amongst pop culture researchers, who assumed that the arrival of the product on shop shelves and the TV advertisement both happened in the same year.The early claim that the advert was originally broadcast in 1979 was disputed. Whilst some researchers pointed to 1980, others believed that the ad first appeared somewhat later. According to the book Box of Delights (ISBN 0333518128), it first appeared in 1985, and this was backed up by the earliest print reference to Shake 'n' Vac being a 1982 newspaper advert. However, it was argued that Ms Logan's clothing and hairstyle and the decor of the room featured in the ad pointed towards the ad being filmed in 1979/1980.