I remember watching the ‘Jif Alien Attack’ advert way back in 1977 and being totally bowled over by it.
Technically, I suppose it will go down as the last proper Supermarionation production.
Three puppets featured in the ad. The John and Julie puppets from the aborted ‘Investigator’ pilot from 1972, and a specially made puppet caricatured to look like Albert Einstein.
Ed Bishop was one of the voice artists along with a voice I seem to recognize as Cyril Shaps as the Professor.
David Lane directed the ad, which featured special effects by Brian Johnson and Nick Adler, with models by Martin Bower. Barry Gray’s, Thunderbird Theme along with some Thunderbird incidental music was used as the soundtrack.
Prior to appearing on TV it was apparently shown in cinemas before screenings of Star Wars: A New Hope.
The characters all work for Intergalactic Rescue, protecting Earth from extraterrestrial invasion.
Alien flying dishes filled with ice cream, rice pudding, semolina and other gooey desserts attempt to swamp the Earth.
Intergalactic Rescue launch Jif fruit syrup dessert toppings from underground silos on the Moon.
Strawberry!
Raspberry!
Chocolate!
Our heroes have them licked, and the future of mankind is saved!
I love this advert. Supermarionation was so cool. It's still on YouTube I think. At the time that I actually got my mum to buy a couple of the Jif toppings just so I could use the plastic 'spacships'.
ReplyDelete;D
Probably collecters items now, Yorkie
ReplyDeleteA lot of the sets and props from this ad survived and were on display at the Anderson exhibition in Blackpool for many years.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mikeeverett.co.uk/work/mytube/alien-attack.html
ReplyDeletethis chap who was involved in the commercial says the voice artists were Ed Bishop, David Tate and Angela Richards.