The Andrex Puppies, the Dulux Dog, and the new kid on the block, the Cadbury Gorilla - adland loves animal mascots, whether they’re real, puppets, or just Phil Collins in a suit. However, only one brand mascot has successfully crossed over from one brand to another - Britain’s favourite knitted chimp, Monkey. The stuffed simian made his debut in 2001 with the launch of ITV’s ill-fated digital network, and after a long holiday, purportedly strapped to the front of a lorry (see below) but more likely thrown in a cupboard in Mother’s plush East London offices, he made an inspired return with his old mate Johnny Vegas (still bizarrely called Al) for PG Tips in January 2007.
That was over a year ago and in the interim Monkey has embarked on a career as a movie star (apparently without Al – no sign of the nation’s favourite salad dodger in the trailer). His first appearance on the silver screen comes in a five-minute whistle-stop history of tea that premières in cinemas across the UK from Friday 21 March to Thursday 10 April. Showing a versatility not seen since Eddie Murphy in ‘Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps’, and without the need for prosthetics we must add, Monkey takes the role of Shennong, legendary Emperor of China; a captain of a tea clipper, an intrepid jungle explorer...and the majority of other roles. The film encompasses the history of tea from ancient China, right up to the Rainforest Alliance Certification of PG Tips' tea suppliers.
To catch what is sure to be the beginning of a long and illustrious career in film, take your family to any of the following films between 21 March and 10 April (and if you don’t have a family, borrow one - just like Suggs did for Birdseye): ‘The Spiderwick Chronicles’, ‘Horton Hears A Who’, ‘Gameplan’ and ‘Hannah Montana’. See below for a sneak preview of the film, entitled 'A Tale of Two Continents'.
