It began with a quiz question about the origin of the catchphrase "Nice one, Cyril". I am not going to reveal the answer, because the quiz is still live, but my research turned up an intriguing third use (after the original and then Spurs' adoption of it as a chant to recognise defender Cyril Knowles). Some bright spark in an advertising agency (probably Geers Gross) decided in 1988 to revive the slogan using Cyril Smith to promote the Access credit card's "flexibility". This was after the Rochdale MP had been revealed in Private Eye as behaving inappropriately towards boys in the council's care when he had been a Labour councillor in Rochdale*.
Round about the same time, this poster featuring Gary Glitter appeared on railway platforms. It was part of a long-running campaign, seemingly devised by British Rail's own Central Advertising Services, using the former glam-rocker's image to promote the Young Person's Railcard. A few years later he was to be exposed as a paedophile.
What is certain is that it was Allen Brady Marsh who were responsible for the TV campaign fronted by Jimmy Savile for Intercity, because Peter Marsh bragged about it in a TV documentary about Intercity. The campaign was only terminated when rumours about Savile's sexual misconduct at Stoke Mandeville hospital came to BR's attention.
I began this posting with the aim of discovering a link between the campaigns. I found none. The only common factor seems to be the ignorance of the average advertising man (and it usually is a man) of the world outside his glitzy bubble, and his susceptibility to the attractions of gross self-publicists.
* Incidentally, the transcripts of the Rochdale sexual abuse hearings just released tend to confirm my belief that at least one other Labour councillor (unnamed) was involved in sexual abuse at Knowl View. Questions put to Paul Rowen are relevant.
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