British Arrows celebrates five decades with Outernet exhibition

The first major retrospective of British TV advertising is coming to Outernet London, celebrating the best advertising from the last 50 years. 

Running from February 9th until February 22nd, the Ads of the Years exhibition will feature the top adverts from 1976 to the present day, all of which have been selected from the archives of the British Arrows as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations. 

The free exhibition at Outernet London will see 68 iconic commercials displayed on 7,000 metres of the world’s most advanced 16K screens in a four-storey high, floor-to-ceiling, 360-degree immersive experience that lets visitors get close to the very best of British advertising.

“British advertising is one of our most powerful creative forces – shaping culture, sparking conversation and delivering real-world impact far beyond the screen." 

Classic TV spots will include Parker Pens Finishing School (1976), directed by Sir Alan Parker and starring Penelope Keith, Courage Best Gercha (1980), soundtracked by Chas and Dave, and LEGO Kipper (1981), narrated by Tommy Cooper.

These will feature alongside modern hits including Levi’s Swimmer (1994), which helped created a chart-topper for indie band Stiltskin, Cadbury’s Phil Collins-inspired drumming Gorilla (2008), and Nike’s internet-breaking Nothing Beats a Londoner (2019), with cameos from Ryan Giggs, Skepta, Harry Kane, Mo Farah and Dina Asher-Smith, to name just a few. Visitors will also be able to vote for their favourite advert of the last 50 years, which will be announced as the first People’s Arrow award in March.

Above: The UK's most impactful and best loved commercials will be on show at London's the Outernet, on Tottenham Court Road. 

The British Arrows, one of the world’s most-respected advertising awards bodies, hopes the retrospective will not only celebrate the history of British advertising, but also inspire a new generation of advertising professionals. UK advertising, which supports 1.7 million jobs (5% of UK employment), has recently been identified by the government as a key sector for growth in its Modern Industrial Strategy. The UK is already the second largest exporter of advertising after the US, with the sector adding £109 billion in indirect GVA (Gross Value Add) across the UK economy more broadly.

“British television advertising is recognised as the best in the world, offering a compelling and entertaining reflection of popular culture, and creating pieces of film that can define an era and stay with you forever," said Simon Cooper, Chairman of British Arrows and owner and Managing Director of Academy Films. "This remarkable collection of iconic Arrow-winning adverts from the past 50 years provides a vivid snapshot of British society and a joyful reminder of why beer-drinking, cartwheeling dogs, drumming gorillas, bouncing balls, bear-fighting fishermen, happiness-inducing cigars and patient surfers, among many others, hold such a lasting place in our collective consciousness. 

“British television advertising is recognised as the best in the world, offering a compelling and entertaining reflection of popular culture, and creating pieces of film that can define an era and stay with you forever."

"It also demonstrates the power of contemporary public-awareness campaigns to challenge taboos around menstruation and to save lives by opening conversations around suicide. With the sector now more culturally and economically important to the UK than ever, we hope this retrospective not only celebrates its legacy, but inspires a new generation of creatives, craftspeople and innovators.”

“British advertising is one of our most powerful creative forces – shaping culture, sparking conversation and delivering real-world impact far beyond the screen," added Jessica Dracup-Holland, CMO of Outernet. "This curated experience celebrates an industry that not only drives the UK economy, but uses creativity for good, from changing behaviours to saving lives. We’re incredibly proud to elevate our long-standing partnership with the British Arrows as they mark this milestone moment, and to bring these iconic, unmistakably British adverts to life on Outernet’s immersive canvas. It’s a showcase the advertising community will revel in, and one our audiences will love, taking a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

Above: 2008 put drumming gorillas on the map, thanks to Cadbury. 

The 68 adverts on show are:

Best Commercial of the Year

1976                Parker Pens Finishing School

1977                Sony Trinitron Tuning People In

1978                EMI Records Supremes greatest Hits Three Little Girls

1979                EMI Records, Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits Animals

1980                Courage Best Gercha

1981                Lego Kipper

1982                Courage Best Margate

1983                Orange Tango Stanley Gimble

1984                Irn Bru Culprit

1985                John Smith's Bitter Song and Dance

1986                Levi’s Jeans Airport

1987                Hamlet Cigars Photobooth

1988                Whitbread Best Bitter Switcheroo

1989                K Shoes Creaks

1990                Maxwell Tapes Israelites

1991                Electricity Association, Domestic Heating Pablo

1992                Schweppes Tonic Strange Taste Test

1993                Levi's Jeans Swimmer

1994                Levi's Jeans Creek

1995                Levi's Jeans Drugstore

1996                Pirelli P6000 Tyres Carl In New York

1997                Blackcurrant Tango St George

1998                Volkswagen Polo Affordability Lamp Post

1999                Sony PlayStation 2 Double Life

2000                Guinness Surfer

2001                John West Salmon Bear

2002                Stella Artois Doctor

2003                NSPCC Cartoon

2004                Honda Cog

2005                Honda Grrr

2006                Honda Impossible Dream

2007                Sony Bravia Paint

2008                Cadbury Gorilla [above]

2009                Hovis Go on Lad

2010                T Mobile Dance

2011                T Mobile Welcome Back

2012                John Lewis The Long Wait

2013                Channel 4 Paralympics Meet The Superhumans

2014                Marmite Rescue

2015                Honda The Other Side

2016                Currys PC World Spare The Act Laptop

2017                Channel 4 Paralympics We're The Superhumans

2018               Libresse/Bodyform #Bloodnormal

2019                Nike Nothing Beats a Londoner

2020                Apple Airpods Bounce

2021/22           Burberry Winter 2020/21 collection Festive

2023                CALM x ITV The Last Photo

2024                Channel 4 Idents 2023

2025             Libresse/Bodyform Never Just a Period