I only drink tea and water these days…Never really took to fizzy drinks and only drank beer to be one of the lads…Don’t have to worry these days because they’ve all passed on…
Ross McManus wrote and sang the advert’s song, with his son Declan McManus (later known as Elvis Costello) providing the backing vocals. An alternative, unaired version of the advert featured Costello and his father onstage, as the ‘Secret Lemonade Drinker’ fantasised about being a rock star.
In 1973, the ‘Secret Lemonade Drinker’ advertising campaign was launched by London agency Allen, Brady and Marsh and devised by Rod Allen, who wrote the slogan. The adverts featured actor Julian Chagrin in pyjamas creeping downstairs to raid the fridge for R. Whites Lemonade, only to be caught by his wife, played by Harriet Philpin. Ross McManus wrote and sang the advert’s song, with his son Declan McManus (later known as Elvis Costello) providing the backing vocals. An alternative, unaired version of the advert featured Costello and his father onstage, as the ‘Secret Lemonade Drinker’ fantasised about being a rock star.
The commercials were the brand’s best known advertising campaign, and continued to air until 1984 and won a silver award at the 1974 International Advertising Festival. There was also a version of the commercial in 1985 featuring John Otway (1) as the secret lemonade drinker in a phone box.
The secret lemonade drinker was reintroduced in 1993, starring actor & comedian Julian Dutton as the eponymous Secret Lemonade Drinker, and various celebrities have featured in the commercials including comedians Ronnie Corbett and Frankie Howerd, actor Nicholas Parsons, tennis player John McEnroe and footballers turned pundits Ian St John and Jimmy Greaves. One version dubbed the advert entirely in Japanese; another version had another sultry woman appear randomly to kiss Dutton (before he is rejoined by a lookalike of Harriet Philpin), while yet another featured the animation of Mr Benn. In 2000, “Secret Lemonade Drinker” was ranked seventh in Channel 4’s poll of “The 100 Greatest TV Ads”. Julian Chagrin and Harriet Philpin returned in 2012 to advertise R White’s Lemonade Lollies.
I’m loathe to say it but the green Cresta had an almost phlegm like thing about it.
But we were young and as ever I’ve got a bit of a thing about the 70’s … happy days!
Still is mine. Talking of dandelion and burdock, I bought a big bottle of diet one recently. Can’t fit it in the fridge so have to pour some in a smaller bottle to chill.
Yeah…we had a couple.
Lorries rather than vans.
One sold Corona drinks and I think the other was Alpine.
Although I could have that wrong.
Loved Dandelion and Burdock.
Now I never touch a fizzy drink.