Golden brands of 1988

Catchphrases from 1988 included Nike’s ‘Just Do It’, ‘Loadsamoney’ from Harry Enfield and ‘an ology’ from BT’s Beattie. The UK launch of Hello! heralded a new age of celebrity, where footballers’ wives rubbed shoulders with European royalty.

It was the year Channel 4 came of age, replacing founding chief executive Jeremy Isaacs with Michael Grade. Grade was under a little pressure from his predecessor, who threatened to throttle him if he failed to respect the channel’s remit. The previous year, Channel 4 had stormed into profit – an impressive £20m, just five years since it made its debut with teatime game show Countdown.

It was a stellar year for advertising. The MK II Volkswagen Golf’s success was sealed as Paula Hamilton rejected the fur coat and pearl necklaces and kept the car keys instead. Then there was the award-winning Real Fires TV campaign. Set to the song Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?, the dog kissed the cat, who kissed the mouse, all in front of a roaring fire.

BT’s Jewish grandmother, Beattie, played by Maureen Lipman, made her first appearance in 1988, reassuring her grandson, who had failed most of his exams aside from pottery and sociology. “He gets an ology and he says he’s failed... You get an ology, you’re a scientist...” she cries.

This article featured in Market Leader, July 2012.