I had a dream last night that I was watching a Flake advert on a constant loop. It was one from the 80s, but not one that actually existed. It was a sort of mix between this one:
And this one:
Now, I know that these ads are meant to be sexy, but my overriding memory of them when I was little is that they terrified me. I’m sure there’s someone out these who will say it’s to do with a fear of emasculation, but I think it was that bloody music.
Dave Trott, who worked on the Flake campaigns of the 80s says:
When we worked on the Cadbury’s Flake ads, the comparison was with an orgasm.
No shit. No-one noticed.
So the young woman locks herself away or goes somewhere where she won’t be interrupted – lush green field, the bath, ignoring a phone call. Nothing is allowed to interrupt that delicious, orgasmic moment of self indulgence.
But this one is even less subtle:
I didn’t know there used to be a plain chocolate version of the Flake either.
Wonder how they advertised that. (Insert your own jokes here).
Here’s how Jasper Carrott reacted to the bath one:
