Television adverts for electricals giant Rumbelows were frequent and fun – many of the earlier ones featured a middle-aged, well-rounded, balding, moustache-sporting, well-spoken gent called Rumbelow. Rumbelow promised free service for one-year, free home trial, free removal of old products, free delivery and a 30-day money back guarantee – pretty impressive.
The later adverts featured the Don’t pay any more Mrs Moore theme. The music to the Mrs Moore series of ads were quite catchy – country & western and reggae tunes were used to maximise the fun-factor. Adverts featuring singing electrical appliances were fun to watch, and luckily, the appliances were only permitted to sing in the adverts … not in our homes!
Just to clarify, the ‘don’t pay any more‘ statement was not just for Mrs Moore, it was for the whole Moore household, the neighbours, family, friends and everyone else! So no need to worry if your surname is not Moore – you’d still be eligible to enter through the doors of Rumbelows and leave with reasonably priced electrical goods.
The football connection
Rumbelows took the sponsorship baton from Littlewoods for the Football League Cup during the early 90s. This meant their advertising was a three-pronged attack: on the high street, on television, and at football stadiums. During the half-time break, discussions between football fans would usually be about missed chances, fantastic goals and poor refereeing, but after clocking the Rumbelows logo on numerous advertising boards, maybe they would remember the horrendous noise coming from their washing machine at home and swiftly head-off to Rumbelows after the match.
The end
Rumbelows had strong competition from the likes of Dixons and Comet, and the end came in 1995. The world of electrical retail is mind-boggling, especially when it came to Rumbelows: the fact that the company never made a profit during its twenty-four years existence is incredible. The company, that began as Fred Dawes in the 50s, is now mingling with the likes of Woolworths, Our Price, Comet and Bejam in the spirit beneath the high street concrete. Their display of twin-tub washing machines, video recorders, corded vacuum cleaners and stereo systems are looking a tad dusty. Mrs Moore now spends her time tapping-away on her keyboard or swiping on her mobile to find the best electrical deals.
Don’t forget to click the image below to watch the Rumbelows advert
Remember when Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks threw their weight around the wrestling ring? A time when the Milk Tray Man secretly delivered chocolates. Mr Kipling made exceedingly good cakes but what was your favourite? Fun, straplines and nostalgic photos in the hardback book, Section N Underpass, a nostalgic trip reliving advertising, leisure and entertainment from the 70s and 80s – fiction with loads of interesting facts. Click the image below to get the rundown:
