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Feature from 2010
Texaco advert
Atari advert
In fact, looking back at the many companies and products they put their names to, they put many of today’s famous people to shame, if not by value, then definitely in sheer number alone.
The product endorsements cover a wide range of things from a wide range of eras, and includes radio, television, corporate and placement adverts from the 1960’s to the 1980’s.
Eric said in an interview that when it all began, back in the late 50’s early 60’s, they had no idea how long their fame would last. It could be, like so many other long forgotten performers, that their life in the lights only lasted a few years.
It was initially because of this that they accepted any offers to advertise products, after all, by now, they had to make a living for as long as they were famous, it could all end tomorrow.
Working, at the time, for commercial television, meant there was no problems giving their names and voices to a whole range of products. When they moved to the BBC however, it became a little more difficult.
The BBC did not allow its stars to advertise with the competition, and it is rumoured that Eric and Ern got around this by not having their faces shown. Instead they used their voices or just, as in the Dulux advert, their bodies.
The BBC limits did not affect advertising away from television though, as the names of Britain’s top entertainers were still used for product placement and corporate events.
With the move to Thames in 1978, it made them fully accessible for television adverts, even thought hey didn’t actually need the money now.
Looking through the archives we have tried to bring all of the things they advertised into a manageable list, that will hopefully grow as more adverts come to light, and more fans help out by supplying us with information.
So here it is, the list of products that Morecambe and Wise advertised.
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© morecambeandwise.com 2010