Hovis ‘Bike’ advert 1973 (Britain’s favourite TV ad)

Posted on January 20th, 2010 by admin in advertising agency | 25 Comments »

FROM: http://www.quickrelease.tv
HI-RES VODCAST: http://tinyurl.com/yrf278

In 1973, Hovis produced what became one of the all-time classic TV adverts, a delivery boy freewheeling down a cobbled northern hill.

In fact, the ad was shot on Gold Hill of Shaftesbury, Dorset. The director was (Sir) Ridley Scott. He later went on to direct Bladerunner, Alien, Thelma & Louise, and Gladiator.

The original boy on the bike, Carl Barlow, then 13, is now a 48-year-old fireman.

He said: “It was pure fate that I got the part as the Hovis boy. I was down to the last three, and it turned out that one of the two boys couldn’t ride a bike, and the other wouldn’t cut his hair into the pudding bowl style – it was the Seventies after all. As the only boy who could ride a bike and would cut his hair, I got the part.”

The ad is also famous for its soundtrack. In Britain at least, Dvorak’s ‘New World’ symphony – rearranged for brass – says ‘Hovis’ and ‘good, plain Northern values.’

Like many classic adverts of the 1970s, the Hovis ‘Bike’ advert was produced by iconic advertising agency Collett Dickenson Pearce & Partners.

Duration : 0:0:56


[youtube 6Mq59ykPnAE]

25 Responses

  1. ryanthecabbie Says:

    Ridley Scott, …
    Ridley Scott, Gladiator, Alien, Thelma and Louise, Black Hawk Down and …. er Hovis advert!!!

  2. chdot Says:

    Bet Gold Hill is …
    Bet Gold Hill is slippery today!

  3. MrBuckley123 Says:

    the good old days
    the good old days

  4. alfiesgirluk Says:

    @ Stoatsblood Ha ha …
    @ Stoatsblood Ha ha ha I like it and too true, health and safety should see this irresponsible advert. roflmao

  5. michael2me Says:

    im the mug who …
    im the mug who turned the hovis boy part down what a mug

  6. Stoatsblood Says:

    OMG WTB BBQ He …
    OMG WTB BBQ He isn’t wearing a helmet!!! Youtube should take this video down, it’s like, totally promoting irresponsible, dangerous behavior!

    Just kidding. Did you spot the totally hip Fixie that lad was riding?

  7. jasfifty Says:

    haha
    haha

  8. jfgwills5 Says:

    haha old guy says …
    haha old guy says to kid “get it inside you boy”, these days he’d be on some sort of register

  9. Greenockgal Says:

    aw, fab! we went …
    aw, fab! we went and visited this place last week, called Gold Hill, beautiful!

  10. CurlyLyns82 Says:

    Aaw it gets me …
    Aaw it gets me everytime.

  11. imtehredpowerranger Says:

    I know its only for …
    I know its only for bread, but the Hovis adverts are really aawesome :D especially the new 2009 one ^^
    its my fave :D D

  12. sortashaman Says:

    yep, a brass …
    yep, a brass arrangement of the second movement of Dvorak’s “From the New World”, based on a spiritual (hymn) titled “Goin’ Home”.

  13. basherofnoggins Says:

    same accent
    same accent

  14. SweetieEmzie Says:

    the first voice …
    the first voice sounds a bit like hagrid from harry potter :)

  15. IZanmaruI Says:

    and i live just …
    and i live just around the corner from that hill :) like a 1minute walk lol

  16. resolypf4 Says:

    much better than …
    much better than kingsmill

  17. lukea444 Says:

    Woop! I can play …
    Woop! I can play that on the guitar

  18. pneagle1 Says:

    sounds like the …
    sounds like the music from the shire….in lord of the rings! :P

  19. carpet9999999999 Says:

    i’m studying it in …
    i’m studying it in media studies now, wish i was making sweet vids instead

  20. angeliesings Says:

    yep Gold Hill.. …
    yep Gold Hill.. been there ,its steeper than it looks too!

  21. AllyikaMan Says:

    we studied it in …
    we studied it in media too, it sucks willy!!! :P

  22. AllyikaMan Says:

    its CRAP!!
    its CRAP!!

  23. cymruambyth29 Says:

    I’ve ran up and …
    I’ve ran up and down that hill know as gold hill! :-)

  24. 1875HIBSFC Says:

    We studied this in …
    We studied this in Media studies!

  25. ade2006 Says:

    EEEE it were rite …
    EEEE it were rite grand when I were a lad..

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