Best UK TV ADVERTS FROM THE 80S
By Mark Nobes and Hannah Johnson
On this page, you can watch an ever-growing, nostalgic collection of British TV ads from the 1980s. One or more of these are sure to jog your memory, and here are some more details about each of the ads in our hand-picked playlist, which I hope you may remember from back in the day...
KIA ORA "I'll Be Your Dog" TV ADVERT (1987)
The Kia Ora advert is one of the more memorable old ads from the eighties. It's a clever animation, and particularly so when the sun grabs the cloud underneath and rinses it out, pouring Kia Ora into the glass of the black character in the sun hat. He tells the crow who is following him "It's too orangey for crows. It's just for me and my dog". "I'll be your dog", replies the crow. We then see several crows who start barking in time to the music, and that tune has stuck in my head evers ince! You can still buy Kia-Ora fruit squash drinks in 2023.

MATEY BUBBLE BATH Advert
Who remembers having a bath with Matey when they were young? No, I'm not talking about Rolf Harris. Matey is a bubble bath that is still being sold today, although the design of the bottle is very different these days. This advert from the eighties featuring the voice of Kenny Everett. When I was a child I was crazy about bubbles, and I used to really work up a lather when the taps were running so that I could hide underneath the bubbles - happy days!

Colgate "Baggy Trousers"80s TV Advert
Colgate toothpaste has always been one of the most recognised brands, and was the no.1 choice for many back in the 80s, just as it is today. Do you remember this fun TV advert from yesteryear? It featured kids advertising Colgate 'Blue Minty Gel' to the tune of Madness 'Baggy Trousers'. I particularly like the lyrics to this one.
FOSTERS LAGER Advert with Paul Hogan
There were many UK ads featuring the famous Australian actor, Paul Hogan and they always ended on a humorous note. In this one, Paul is in a traditional British pub, with a man playing old time Cockney tunes on a piano behind him. He asks the pianist "Know any Rolf Harris, mate?". "No, sorry Guv" comes the reply. "Looks like we're in for a good evening then", replies Paul.

Fly Fishing by J. R. Hartley (Yellow Pages Ad)
This is one of the best known ads from the 1980s, and it's very touching. It features the fictional writer J. R. Hartley (played by Norman Lumsden) searching for a supplier of his old book Fly Fishing. It was first shown in 1983, and was used to advertise British Telecom's Yellow Pages directory, which lists the landline phone numbers of local businesses.

Yellow Pages Racing Bike Advert
Kinder Humpty Dumpty Advert

Woolworth's Christmas Advert 1983

British Telecom Ology Advert
I hope you have enjoyed our hand-picked selection of some of the best ads from the 80s.