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Ariel 

Brand Value: $103 Million 

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 Snapshot

Brand Value - Methodogy

Books: The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles

Events: Man on the moon; British troops sent to Northern Ireland; Murdoch beats Maxwell for News of the World

Films: Easy Ride; Midnight Cowboy

Music: Serge and Jane sing
“Je t’aime”; Woodstock

It was a year of flight and adventure. The world got smaller with Concorde’s debut flight and the universe got smaller as man walked on the moon. “One small step for man... one giant leap for mankind,” said Apollo 11’s Neil Armstrong to an estimated 600 million TV audience glued to the grainy black and white images.

No surprise that Star Trek, “Where no man has gone before...”, starring Captain Kirk and Spock was a hit on British TV, despite the fact the series had just been cancelled in the US after just three years.

The promises of science were infiltrating daily life with the launch of P&G’s new detergent Ariel, “with enzymes to digest dirt.” It was the first detergent with stain-removing enzymes and promised to tackle, “the really tough stains that other powders leave behind.”

Meanwhile in London, small was the new big. The mini-sized Mini had launched a decade ago and was now firmly ensconced as a cult classic. This was helped no end, by the hit Brit flick, The Italian Job, where it was driven down Turin's stairways and through its shopping centres.

One of the most arresting ads of the century won awards this year as did dog food Pedigree Chum. A birth control poster campaign from the Health Education Council featured a pregnant man and the words, “Would you be more careful if it was you who got pregnant?”

 What do you think?

To celebrate our 50th Anniversary we have already chosen 50 Golden Brands from 1959 to 2008, but now we want you to help us choose the Golden Brand of 2009 which will be awarded at our 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner on November 16 at the Battersea Evolution.

Which brand do you think is worthy of our Golden Brand of 2009?

(All fields are mandatory)

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 Latest comments

Old / new Mini

Agree it's the brand of 1959, though it really took off in the 60s. I think it survived and struck a chord despite BL/Austin et al. It is an icon of Britishness, then and now.

Posted by Lee Eskholme on 10/22/2008 | 2:45 PM

New Mini

While i'd agree to the BL branding disaster starting in the 70's, '69 was the year of re-launching the mini as the mini clubman with its square front (as shown in this footage) hence it belonging to this year as an updated launch.

Posted by David Brummitt on 10/15/2008 | 12:09 PM

Has to be Mini

Are there any other brands as iconic as Mini?

Posted by Deborah Waterhouse on 6/30/2008 | 3:44 PM

Mini - seriously?

Probably the Bounty is a better choice, but this item really shows poor planning.

Posted by Thomas Kidderminster on 6/11/2008 | 3:56 PM

Better mini

That really is an appalling choice. Mini as a brand belongs to the original launch year, in 1969 British Leyland was establishing itself as a branding and manufacturing disaster and the car, by 1969, was out of date.

Posted by Tim Williams on 6/11/2008 | 12:31 PM