The Smash Martians began promoting instant mashed potato i 1974. The cackling hi-tech robots spied on suburband kitchens and poured scorn on such primative implements as the potato peeler. In 2006, BBC Good Food magazine voted the cheeky robots most iconic British food advert of all time.
They peel them with their metal knives……then they smash them up to bits!
Cadbury, make of Smash was initially sceptical of the campaign, saying it trivialised the product. Agency Boase Massimi Pollitt insisted it would be a success and the ads ran for 10 years, turning Smash into one of our most famous brands.
The Martians were the brainchild of creative ad man John Webster, also responsible for Sugar Puff’s Honey monster, the Hofmeister bear and for matching Gary Linkeker with Walker’s crisps.
The Martian voices were provided by Peter hawkins, whose othe performances included a daleck in Doctor Who, Captain Pugwash and both Bill and Ben, the Flower Pot Men.
Composer Cliff Adams said that the jingle to accompany ‘for Mash get Smash’ took just one second to compose!
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J Woking
February 13, 2011 2:23 pmI love vintage Adverts, from my youth please post more.
Karen
March 5, 2011 7:26 pmI loved those Mash Martians or should that be Mashians LOL
They should bring them back again and not any of the CGI we have these days, they should be how they were, that includes seeing the wires 😉
Gary Corbett
March 24, 2011 3:28 amWow, John Webster sounds like quite the creative mind, and well done to the Agency for having the belief to do it.