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Clip description
This advertisement for Schweppes carbonated drinks and fruit cordials features a series of social occasions in which people enjoy the beverages. The locations include a luxury liner, an international air service, hotel lobby, garden restaurant and house party. A voice-over emphasises the drink’s quality, recognisability and versatility. Over a shot of a Schweppes laboratory, the narrator says that ’163 years of product research and manufacturing experience’ guarantees a high standard of quality. Schweppes’s fruit cordial products are also displayed and the ad concludes with a product shot and the line 'Schweppes is truly best’.
Curator’s notes
An historical cinema advertisement like this one is a joy to watch because it provides a glimpse into the mainstream values, social customs and fashions of the 1950s, when it was made. It provides a rich wealth of visual details, such as the interior of a 1950s Qantas aeroplane, women’s fashions, details of a refrigerator and kitchen and trends in product packaging. It also clearly presents the social norms of the time with women in the home and men in the professional sphere.
A Matter of Taste cleverly highlights Schweppes’s appeal to a wide sector of society by aligning its brand with travellers, business people, socialites, schoolchildren and even the housewife in the home, who are all pictured in their relevant context (such as hotel, cocktail party or milk bar). The male voice-over reinforces the versatility of the beverage – it can be enjoyed by young and old, as a mixer or served straight.
In each scenario in the ad, people are seen socialising with friends or otherwise enjoying themselves, backed by a sprightly instrumental soundtrack. Schweppes therefore becomes linked to having a good time. Product campaigns based on desire set an ideal to which the viewer aspires (happiness) and offer a straightforward means of achieving it (drinking Schweppes).
