Hovis throwback captures the brand’s bread and butter

Hovis has relaunched its ‘Strength Baked In’ platform, with ‘ghost signs’ at the heart of the campaign. But what does nostalgia mean today?, asks SHOOK’s Gemma Moroney

This campaign promptly threw me back 18 years, when I couldn’t move for requests to buy faded wall art as a publicity opportunity.

Back then, I was associate director on the Hovis account at Frank, and we (me, Frankie Cory, Kate Brackenbrough, Emma Russell) had just helped relaunch the brand to huge industry and public acclaim (12 September 2008, no less).

Strong start

‘Epic’ is overused to describe creative. However, MCBD (more specifically, the folks who later left to become Lucky Generals) were behind a properly epic ad for the brand’s renaissance, under brilliant clients Jon Goldstone, Julie Levers, Claire Low and Marie Wiseman.

Called ‘Go On Lad’ and featuring the strapline ‘As good today as it’s always been’, the spot saw a boy (or rather, lad) running through British history, from the 1800s to the [then] present-day.

Directed by the visionary, late Ringan Ledwidge (RIP), the craft was off the charts, giving (prior Hovis ad maker) Ridley Scott more than a run for his money.

Ringan’s attention to detail included casting people based on physiognomy – what era their 2000s face suited. And if you told me he also hand-placed cobblestones for the Shire horse scene, I would’ve believed you.

Our role was to hype it all up, and that included a few key things. One was appointing Jake Green as our on-set photographer. He’s gone on to great things, including Taylor Wessing prize shortlists and remains an exceptionally talented photographer and exceptionally nice man. Another was suggesting some of the clients be cast in the ad (and in fact, Claire’s physiognomy saw her take a deserved starring role in the 1940s segment). Hosting media on set (the good ole days of Media Guardian) and asking for the ad to be cut to 122 seconds long because the relaunch came in Hovis’ 122nd anniversary year. Nobody batted an eyelid that this was the most tenuous of anniversary dates. It made it, I believe, the longest ad to play in the Corrie ad break at the time, delaying the show by a few seconds. Sadly, today in Hovis’ 140th year, the ad is just 30’.

Success baked in

Sales of Hovis products jumped by over £12,000,000 in the weeks following the 2008 ad’s launch (nearly immediately paying back the investment). Despite tough competition, the ad also later got the public’s nod for the best television commercial of the decade.

Some lovely spots in the same vein followed, including introducing 10-year-old Jessie Smith as the first Hovis ‘lass’, to promote rolls. Eventually, and sadly, I think Hovis became a victim of the ‘No carbs before Marbs’ culture, trying to convince people who were shunning carbs to eat bread; rather than encouraging people eating bread to eat more of it (which is why I think Warburtons has since won the battle over the past decade or two – leaning into irreverent fun).

Hovis’ new campaign delves deep into its beginnings. 

The new strapline is directly inspired by the brand name, which comes from Hominis Vis – strength of man - and was chosen in a competition (isn’t it funny how you remember things decades after you worked in a brand?). The ghost signs are part of that history, and I still think they’re a lovely asset.

Ridley Scott’s 1973 Hovis ad ‘Bike’ is reported to have had instant cultural success; ‘Go On Lad’ did more than a pretty good job of being its worthy successor. I hope this new campaign is going to cut through, be the best thing since sliced bread etc.

Nostlagia in 2026

I like the film, the sense of community and togetherness. But I am not sure if the nostalgia play is pitched right for today’s audiences, for whom nostalgia is less World War II, and more what happened ten years ago.

The protein play, whilst zeitgeisty, also feels a bit of a bandwagon jump to me (that could have been left for people to work out rather than being added as a legal line).

‘Strength baked in’ isn’t a new strapline; it’s been refreshed post ABF takeover. And actually, I think ‘As good today as it’s always been’ might work better, both with the creative idea, and with the fact that everything in the world is – technical term – seemingly going to shit.

However, as this campaign shows, Hovis is part of our history, and literally the fabric of British streets, so despite my reservations, I hope ‘Strength Baked In’ goes from strength to strength.