Adverts

Vauxhall Nova: Big in the City [1984 TV commercial]
Halls Mentho-Lyptus : Commuter [1992 TV commercial]
Sony PlayStation: Double Life [1999 TV commercial]
Airwaves Active: Alien [2006 TV commercial]
The Times: Commuter [2006 TV commercial]
Kellogs Crunchy Nut Bar: Tube Station [2007 commercial]
O2: Bubbles [2007 TV commerical]
The National Lottery: Thunderball/Tube Station [2007 TV commercial]
Rimmel London: Ladbroke Grove [2008 TV commercial]
Marks & Spencer: Christmas [2009 TV commercial]
Homebase: Tube Station [2010 TV commercial]
Bing: Information Overload [2010 TV commercial]
Rimmel London: Waterloo [2010 TV commercial]
Rimmel London: London Bridge [2010 TV commercial]


Vauxhall Nova: Big in the City [1984 TV commercial]

Vauxhall's competitor to the Austin Metro is show driving through stylised mock-ups of "Elsware" and "High Ground" stations.

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Halls Mentho-Lyptus : Commuter [1992 TV commercial]

This early advert features a commuter whose cold is so bad that he grows a giraffe's neck and an elephant's nose, which he then uses to retrieve some Halls Mentho-Lyptus lozenges from a platform newagents. While it appears to have been shot on a very good mock-up of a sub-surface line car, with exterior back-projection, it seems a real train was used for the platform shots, although it's not possible to idetify the station used.

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Sony PlayStation: Double Life [1999 TV commercial]

This seminal advert features various gamers extolling the virtues of living other lives via the PS1, and includes British Paralympian gold medallist and television presenter Ade Adepitan MBE in an unidentified station.

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Airwaves Active: Alien [2006 TV commercial]

An alien is welcomed to Britain with a pack of Wrigley's Airwaves Active chewing gum. With the tag-line of "back to normal," he is then seen doing all manner of traditional British activies, such as queuing, waiting to be served in a dingy greasy spoon café, and - of course - being crammed like a sardine into a Tube train. Probably a mock-up.

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The Times: Commuter [2006 TV commercial]

The Times purported itself to be so interesting that commuters would go to even more determined lengths than usual to read a copy over someone's shoulder, even down escalators, and from outside the train! Shot on the Northern Line, and featuring East Finchley station, although the escalator is from another - currently unknown - location.

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Kellogs Crunchy Nut Bar: Tube Station [2007 commercial]

This adverts features a rather novel solution to train overcrowding, as a man wanting to board drops a Kellog's Crunchy Nut bar, which most people in the car then leap out to try to "claim," leaving them in a jumbled heap on the platform. This was shot at the disused Jubilee line platforms at Charing Cross, with the station name being clearly visible in several shots..

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O2: Bubbles [2007 TV commerical]

One of the rare instances of an appearance by "Piccadilly Circus" station isn't just as a back-drop, as the O2 bubble exits olne of the subway entrances.

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The National Lottery: Thunderball/Tube Station [2007 TV commercial]

Showing a giant red "Thunderball" arriving along the tracks, this was actually shot at the Heathrow Express/Connect "Terminal 4" station, although the lack of expected suitcases and other luggage suggests that the intention was to portray a regular London Underground station.

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Rimmel London: Tube Train [2008 TV commercial]

The media's favourite junkie-magnet, Kate Moss, ponces around at "East Finchley" station, although the roundels state "Ladbroke Grove."

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Marks and Spencer: Christmas [2009 TV commercial]

The new and the old of the London Underground featured in Marks & Spencers Christmas advert for 2009, with James Nesbitt seen at "Canary Wharf," and John Sergeant at a more vintage - although currently unidentified - station.

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Homebase: Tube Station [2010 TV commercial]

This delightful effort by the DIY superstore that appeared in February 2010 shows the redecoration of the area around the escalator to the disused Jubilee line platforms at "Charing Cross" station.

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Bing: Information Overload [2010 TV commercial]

Microsoft's "Decision Engine" advocated in March 2010 via random confusion at "Canary Wharf" Jubilee line station. Thanks, but I think I'll stick with Google's Advanced Search...!

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Rimmel London: Underground Photo Booth [2010 TV commercial]

After 2008's effort, Rimmel returned to a London Underground setting in March 2010, with Coco Rocha (apparently Canadian - so much for "the London look"!) using a photo booth, apparently situated at platform level in an Underground station. The establishing shot is a zoom-in on Waterloo, and indeed the sign visible in Image 2 does include directions right to the Waterloo & City line, but also - bizarrely - left to the Metropolitan line! Although not clear in Image 4, the side of the photo booth has a line diagram next to the slot the pictures come out, but Image 6 shows that it is missing the actual station names. Clearly a set, but certainly not the worst that has ever been created.

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Rimmel London: London Bridge [2010 TV commercial]

In September 2010, Rimmel unveiled a new advert that re-used the same extablishing shot zooming-in on Waterloo, but the thoroughly CGI location for Zooey Deschanel (another non-Brit!) promoting the virtues of mascara is an parody London Bridge. So many roundels...

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The London Underground in Films & TV

PAGE HISTORY:
21/12/08 First upload
05/10/10 Additions
06/10/10 Additions
22/10/17 Hosting transfer & amendments