Woman's Weekly / 11th July 1969
I’m sure I remember PG Tips offering coupons towards children’s books a few years ago, but I’ve not seen anything like this for some time, because presumably it’s expensive to produce! Nice idea, although I hope that lad on the bottom right got a clip round the ear. Cheeky sod.
Tags: blatant sexism, Brooke Bond, tea
Woman's Weekly / 30th May 1969
Of course, Ceylon was the old name for Sri Lanka, which was still in use at this point. Shame that the Lion of Ceylon didn’t survive as the Lion of Sri Lanka, though, as I like the design!
Woman's Weekly / 25th April 1969
Brooke Bond, of course, also produce PG Tips, which eventually became the main tea brand of the company in the UK. The thing is, I don’t think the picture used at this time is actually racist, because tea pickers do tend to have dark skin as a result of prolonged sun exposure…but it’s interesting that PG lightened the picker’s skin in later years, and finally removed her altogether. I suppose this is the same issue that Camp Coffee faced when they altered their label in 2006. Now, of course, the label is historically inaccurate, but I’m not really sure that I want the old one back. Historical accuracy (or even modern-day accuracy) is one thing, but ignoring its legacy and impact is another. It’s a positive sign of the progress of ethnic minorities in the UK that companies now realise that there’s no point offending your consumers.
Tags: Brooke Bond, retail, social history, tea