In 1970, coffee growers hired an ad agency to convince young British people to drink more coffee. This 17-minute, black-and-white BBC documentary starts with a slow pan across a group of pasty-faced, chain smoking executives in suits watching a commercial built around an outrageous slogan: "The more you use, the more you get back." Shot in 1969, the features two beautiful young Swinging Londoners in the throes of fascination for one another, staring into each other's eyes as they sip coffee from mugs.
The documentary then goes inside advertising giant BBDO to interview the heads of various departments — research, creative, production — and covers the creation of a new commercial spot, directed by a young Ridley Scott (who would go on to direct Blade Runner and Alien, among other iconic movies). It's a fascinating look at an over-the-pond version of Mad Men. I could have happily watched a much longer version of this documentary.
For some reason, the documentary doesn't show the complete commercial, but I did find a 1971 Maxwell House Coffee commercial directed by Scott, which features Shakira Baksh, who went on to marry actor Michael Caine.
Here's a one hour and 20 minute reel of a bunch of commercials that Scott directed between 1968 and 2023, including perhaps his most famous, the 1984 ad introducing the Macintosh.
Previously:
• Ridley Scott's revenge?
• Ridley Scott to adapt Haldeman's Forever War
• Ridley Scott to produce miniseries on rocket scientist, occultist Jack Parsons
• Ridley Scott's 'Napoleon' gets a full-length trailer
• The unlikely actor who played Ridley Scott's Alien
• Trailer for Ridley Scott's Napoleon
• Ridley Scott unpacks the original Alien chestburster scene
• Trailer for The Martian starring Matt Damon, directed by Ridley Scott
