"You're never alone with a Strand" was a 1959 British advertising campaign for the Strand brand of cigarettes. It is regarded as one of the poorest tobacco advertising campaigns of all time, with the brand disappearing off the market soon afterwards.[1] The campaign featured Terence Brooks, looking similar to Frank Sinatra, lighting a Strand cigarette on a street corner with nobody else around. This is accompanied by the instrumental The Lonely Man Theme by Cliff Adams playing in the background and the appearance of the slogan "You're never alone with a Strand". The commercial was popular with the public, with Brooks becoming a star and the music reaching 39 in the British single charts.[2] However, sales of the brand were poor and it was soon taken off the market. The public associated smoking Strand cigarettes with being lonely and were put off buying them.[1][2]
References
- ^ a b TV Cream. "Off the back of a fag packet". Accessed 7 August 2006.
- ^ a b Nostalgia Central. "Cigarettes & Cigars". Accessed 7 August 2006.
The commercial was written by John May, a creative maverick who also came up with extraordinary campaigns for Michelin and British Gas. He left advertising at the height of his career to become a historian and antiques expert, specialising in commemoratives.
External links
- "The Commercials" at WhirligigTV.co.uk (includes footage of the commercial in RealVideo format)
