After being voted the most iconic British advert of all time, the classic Hovis advert made a return last night.

Known as the Boy on the Bike, the original Ridley Scott 1973 advert showed a baker’s boy pushing a bike loaded with bread up a cobbled hill. The advert shown last night remastered by the British Film Institute also features a re-recording of the soundtrack, Antonín Dvorak’s New World Symphony.

Jeremy Gibson, marketing director at Hovis, said “We are seeing a mass movement across the country celebrating craftsmanship, traditional products and UK produce, and this advert is one of the most iconic examples of a brand celebrating the ties that bind us as communities and as a country, drawing on tradition but informing our future.”

filming in 1973
Filming the original advert in 1973

Director Ridley Scott said: “I’m thrilled that the ‘Boy on the Bike’ is still regarded as such an iconic and heartwarming story which remains close to the heart of the nation. I remember the filming process like it was yesterday, and its success represents the power of the advert.”

 

Translate »