Cadbury TV Adverts
Cadbury is one of Britain’s most treasured and beloved brands and the company has put out some unforgettable and iconic TV adverts over the years. Everyone loves a bit of a sweet treat, but many of us have grown particularly fond of Cadbury’s chocolate thanks to its strong branding and brilliant marketing.
So, we’ve put together a collection of some of the most memorable Cadbury’s chocolate ads on TV through the years…
Gorilla, 2007
Not just one of the best animal TV adverts in history, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk gorilla advert is simply one of the most memorable ads of all time. The iconic advert regularly makes it onto lists of the greatest adverts of all time and continues to be a fan favourite over 15 years after it was first released.
The gorilla epically performing the drum solo to In the Air Tonight has become one of the best-loved Cadbury’s TV ads, and we can’t stop humming along!
Eyebrows, 2009
Part of the rich tradition of Dairy Milk adverts, 2009’s ‘eyebrows advert’ took the public by storm when it first launched. The chocolate ad features two children waiting to have their photo taken, who resort to an almost gravity-defying ‘dance’ using their eyebrows after they’re left waiting.
The eyebrow dance was parodied and re-enacted on several TV shows following the advert’s release, including by Lily Allen on Channel 4’s The Sunday Night Project.
Milk Tray Man, 1968-present
Cadbury’s Milk Tray adverts have developed something of a cult following thanks to their main character. The Milk Tray Man first appeared in 1968, and over the years has been shown to complete James Bond-style stunts and dangerous escapes in order to deliver a box of Cadbury Milk Tray to a lucky lady.
Throughout the 1970s the Milk Tray Man advert series was so successful that it even spawned a board game. The series was revived in 2016 after a hiatus, starring actor James Coombes, who had previously played the hero in 1987.
Mum’s Birthday, 2018
Dairy Milk adverts have become known as emotional heart-string pullers in recent years, and 2018’s Mum’s Birthday is a prime example. Dairy Milk is known for its “glass and a half” slogan, and this advert reinforces the purple-wrapped chocolate bar’s place in the nation’s heart.
The advert features a little girl on her walk home from school with her mum. The girl pops into a quintessentially British corner shop as her mum takes a phone call, and tells the shopkeeper she wants a bar of chocolate for her mum’s birthday. What follows is an almost wordless transaction that will bring a tear to the eye of even the most cold-hearted.
Cadbury Flake, 1985
Cadbury Flake bars were known in the 1970s and 1980s for having particularly memorable (and even seductive) adverts. The 1985 Flake advert stars model Janis Levy, who bites into the chocolate and takes a lovely stroll through a field full of sunflowers before hitching a ride on a horse-drawn cart, as you do.
The advert is backed by the iconic Flake song – “the crumbliest, flakiest chocolate”, which is undoubtedly one of the catchiest ad jingles out there.
Garage, 2023
A recent addition to the purple pantheon of Cadbury ads, the Dairy Milk petrol station advert is an instant classic. The advert, starring actor Mark Malone who previously appeared in Emmerdale and Liverpool 1, continues Cadbury’s long-running heart-warming tone for their marketing, playing on the “there’s a glass and a half in everyone” slogan.
The advert is set in a petrol station at night, as a man approaches the cashier’s window to pay for his fuel and buy a bar of Dairy Milk. After a somewhat awkward exchange between the man, who is clearly trying to connect, and the fed-up and sullen cashier, he walks away and leaves the chocolate behind. It’s soon revealed that he is in fact the petrol station worker’s dad, and the Dairy Milk is a touching gift to cheer up his daughter.
There have been countless memorable Cadbury adverts over the years – which ones are your favourites? Let us know below!