I recently went to an evening event at the Museum of Brandsย ๐, and if you are nearby, definitely go and visit it really is a fun experience. ย It’s in Notting Hill, Ladbroke Grove to be exact, and it is a real delight ๐.
The idea is very simple – displaying consumer products in chronological order, to show how packaging ๐ซ, branding ๐ฏ and advertising ๐ has changed over the years. It is rather wonderful to see Rolo and Aero chocolate packets ๐ซ from the 1930s, a multitude of quite bizarre cigarette advertising ๐ฌ, the austere branding during the war years ๐ป, and fizzy drink cans ๐ฑ for which you needed a special implement to open, before the ring pull was invented.
There is also a time tunnel (not a roller coaster type affair ๐ก, I was hopeful) but just a winding corridor filled with different innovations – starting with the 1910s and ending with today (there is a whole case devoted to One Direction ๐ค).
My favourite discovery was that up until the 1940s, when writing a postcard ๐, your message had to be on the same side as the image. ย The back was purely reserved for the address.
And maybe the most fun part is discovering brands you know very well that have been around for years. ย Some have changed dramatically – tooth paste ๐ used to come in round china pots (similar to the size of Gentleman’s relish) – others are almost exactly the same – Lyle’s Golden Syrup ๐ฎ, has hardly changed at all.
I am fairly certain no photography was allowed – but I have included one photo of items that have had their names changed as it rather appealed to me – I remember both Opal Fruit to Starburst ๐, and Oil of Ulay to Olay ๐ถ.
Do go have a look!
Alice xxx


sounds fun!