Suddenly, with a tear in my eye, I'm a nine year old boy again, dancing around my living room and each time this came on it just ratcheted up the growing excitement one more notch.

@LynxEng

3 жыл бұрын

racheted ineed

@rajnirvan3336

3 жыл бұрын

Me too always loved going to Woolworths as child especially at xmas

@sibionic

2 жыл бұрын

that's possibly the sweetest thing I've ever read

@neilwhat

Жыл бұрын

Always wanted Tin Can Alley,,,,, Parents could never afford it. Brilliant memories as we always got something lovely anyway.

@STRANGERINMOSCOW1

Жыл бұрын

Same here , memories when all the family was alive

Brings back all the joy of unwrapping a big stack of blank C90 cassettes on Christmas morning!

@rw8176

Жыл бұрын

Heh heh ... By 1985 my brother and I would ask to open our blank VHS tapes early so we could record the Christmas films off the telly, which were always TV premiers (four years after they'd come out in the cinema). The winters were colder and it used to actually snow, blankets not duvets, family life was celebrated and you were allowed to be a kid. A great time!

I am sure i am not the only one who is watching this and it makes them wish they could just pop into woolies again! RIP Woolworths & Woolco!

@christycawley7886

10 ай бұрын

Me too 😢

Made me cry a bit, great Christmases in the 70's and 80's.

@melgrant7404

5 жыл бұрын

Your so right there.

@rw8733

4 жыл бұрын

Agreed. 😢

@rajnirvan3336

3 жыл бұрын

Me too

@dawnfinch8232

3 жыл бұрын

Yes Christmas past happier Christmases

It was 37 years ago and I still remember this like it was yesterday. I saw the full advert at school. The teacher wheeled the giant TV on its 9 foot stand into the hall and disappeared to get something, leaving the TV on itv, ready for our afternoon helping of words and pictures, and this came on. Everybody danced around the hall to the music and it proper felt like Christmas was on its way.

@jamescutler4515

5 жыл бұрын

Your comment made me smile. An insight into a more innocent time. These things trigger so much nostalgia

@melgrant7404

5 жыл бұрын

@@jamescutler4515 better times.

@Adrian-jk4kx

5 жыл бұрын

Amazing...first time I've seen home brew kits advertised on TV.

@noonnie9302

Жыл бұрын

Hahaha!! Words and Pictures!!! I’d forgotten about that! I can now remember being slightly scared of the presenter - but also liking him as well. I think it was Henry Wolf?

Oh the excitement this advert brought me as a seven year old in anticipation of Christmas. The ABBA-sounding, Super Trouper-esque sound of the song just filled me with such joy and great memories with Mum and Dad.

When Christmas was about family. Anybody who recalls this advert on TV then. Come on this song is stuck in your head forever

@CuriousCat128

3 жыл бұрын

loved the song and such a wonderful advert. Brings back memeries.

This is one of those jingles that’s stuck in my head over the years! Grew up with Woolies. Pick n mix & a staple on the high street. Good ole Woolies.

As I was doing my tea and toast this morning I started humming this tune. Took 2 tries to find it. This is the first time I've heard it in 40 years. Thanks internet and the Meakers.

@leftblank6036

2 жыл бұрын

You should be doing Russian jumping jacks

Why am I watching a Woolworths Christmas advert in July ? Have to say I loved the Woolies advert and I still sing it to myself every year at Christmas time.

@rajnirvan3336

3 жыл бұрын

Nothing wrong with that. Its part of our childhood memories

Sampling the Woolies pick and mix lol. Absolutely magical times as a 9 year old! Take me back please

Anita harris was and still is beautiful gorgeous and loved woolworths miss it , wish it was still going spent more time in woolworths than any other shop back in the day definitely missed would love to see it back

I loved how Woolworths bought the whole ad break in order to show their epic ads. It's what's missing from todays Christmas ads - now it's all food and family, I miss the old 'here's the item and how much it costs' method Woolies did so well. R.I.P.

@th8257

2 жыл бұрын

Viewing figures of all TV stations are much lower these days (more people streaming Netflix etc.) so it doesn't make sense to spend so much on TV advertising now

Best Christmas advert ever, hands down. I remember watching this as a lad of 12. it really got you into the Christmas spirit. This is the long version too! It doesn't get any better.

@rw8733

4 жыл бұрын

Takes me back to being 16. I miss Woolies. Especially the pick and mix.

@AndRewUK24

4 жыл бұрын

You better watch the Lancashire Hotpots new version that they just released.

@AndRewUK24

4 жыл бұрын

New version kzread.info/dash/bejne/dot9t89xeJTNlLg.html

@aw-h3875

2 жыл бұрын

@@AndRewUK24 Don't bother. It's shit.

@paulfrost8895

2 жыл бұрын

Did Abba sing this?

The best christmas advert by far. So festive , so feel good and still not to commercialised. I loved woolworths when i was a kid

Iconic advert and so was Woollies. Was 4 in 1981 and used to love going to look at toys and of course never leave without some sweeties.

@Kii-in5ki

10 ай бұрын

I sadly never got anything.. my parents were selfish, my dad was a joke.. i still loved the ads though 😢

Woolworths always delivered, especially at Christmas; the eye-popping-size tins of 'Quality Street' and count-the-celebrities Christmas adverts were a joy, greatly missed.

This back then filled your stomach with a warmth as a kid u knew it was Christmas & everybody was happy with excitement & where has these times went as these were magical times when all your loved ones were still with us & both my parents are gone now. But i watch this with a warmth as they were around getting ready to make our Christmas a special one. Nothing beats this compared to now.

Woolies one of the best used to love doing my Christmas shopping there you could get nearly everything you needed still miss it to this day

Fairly brings tears to these aging eyes. I was one of those kids who would dance like a madman to this when it came on. Still know all the words too. This WAS Christmas to younger me and takes me back to simpler times. Heavily 'inspired' by Super Trouper onbviously.

Brings back so many happy memories, I loved it back then, everything seemed so simple!!

@Mark-od3hs

6 жыл бұрын

No mobile phones, no internet, a choice of 3 TV channels, closedown at 11pm, long hot summers and proper cold winters, Raleigh Chopper Bikes, Halfpenny chews.....happy days!

@rajnirvan3336

3 жыл бұрын

Absolutely

@michaelleacy

2 жыл бұрын

@@Mark-od3hs None of that sounds appealing - and I'm 50!

@mjstefansson7466

2 жыл бұрын

@@Mark-od3hs The imminent outbreak of a nuclear war, football hooliganism, high unemployment, random IRA bombings, people dying of AIDS.... much happier times.

Thank you !! I LOVED THIS as an 11 year old & have sung it throughout my lifetime. Hearing it again ( & still remembering all the words @ 52 years of age) & seeing all the stuff I remember Woolworths selling ( including the pick 'n' mix) has put a massive smile on my face. The prices though !!! 😮 So happy that you've shared this , Gracias 💛

I’m ten years old again,tears in my eyes listening to this.How can this tune evoke such powerful memories. Take me back please

@rajnirvan3336

2 жыл бұрын

I felt that too being a child again

@sirknight1399

Жыл бұрын

I was also 10. Best Christmas ad ever.

We all used to sing this in art class, drove the teacher nuts.

Just before last Christmas up here in Workington, we had a very successful "Sound & Light" show in Curwen Park which included the iconic Workington Hall being lit up in various colours accompanied by the sound of Festive carols & pop songs by school choirs AND nostalgic adverts - of which several from here were featured including this one Woolworths, which nstantly took me back - I remembered this 1st time round as an 8 year old back in 1981 & when I heard it that night I'm not ashamed to admit that a tear or three flowed from my eyes.

i work in boots and this was woolies best xmas ad catchy too

This advert brings me far too much joy. I especially like the enthusiasm with which they present a selection of items scavenged from landfill sites across the UK. It's a hypnotic affair and one which I'm delighted to have stumbled across.. Thanks for uploading:))

I remember this advert very well all these years on - more so as the Wimbledon branch of Woolworths suffered a major fire in the spring of 1981 leading to the tragic death of a probationary London Fire Brigade firefighter named Tony Marshall who was only 21 at the time.

Loved woolworth especially at Christmas feeling very nostalgic wish I could go back now

@sirknight1399

Жыл бұрын

You and me both, sister!

@michaelleacy

5 ай бұрын

Would you though? No internet, no mobiles, misogyny, homophobia, police brutality. An adult today would find it very difficult to go back to being an adult in 1981

Imagine the smile on Dad's face when he opens his GKN Supascrew Kit...

@fatbelly27

3 жыл бұрын

I had one of those - really useful kit. I still have the screwdriver and it's my favourite one

@aw-h3875

2 жыл бұрын

If Dad got a super screw at Christmas he'd be smiling!

It made me cry funny enough so many memories at Woolworths great Christmases back then

Still Here 2022...Love this ad

I can remember this advertisement from 1981. I was 8 and loved Christmas AND Woolworth's. As an 'aside' Frank Winfield Woolworth and I share the same birthday. April 13th. 👍👍👍

Wow! look at the size of the quality street tin!! I loved when my mummy went christmas shopping always came back from Woolies with an advent calendar for me, The Christmas Radio times and a packet of good sweets like Munchies or Mintolas and i always tried to sneek a peek in the big bags of stuff she was carrying and she would say not until Christmas day.

@alexemily5945

2 жыл бұрын

I love this so nostalgic

@rob1979

8 ай бұрын

You remember when the Radio Times was the BBC and TV Times was ITV?

I remember this advert. I can't believe it's 35 years old though....:-S

@bobrew461

3 жыл бұрын

40 years ago now!

@danw1374

3 жыл бұрын

@@bobrew461 Bloody scary. It does not seem that long ago. Time sure flies😳

@davidtomlinson6138

3 жыл бұрын

It's getting on for 40yrs old now ! 🤔😳wow , I'm bloody old , I was 22 then

Wow, I remember this ad soo well!! I still catch myself singing it now and then near Christmas! hahaha

It's almost as if they asked ABBA to write the song (this would definitely be the end of ABBA) but still a fabulous advert!!!

I'm American and this is my first time ever seeing this ~~I have to say this is a great Christmas commercial. Love it

I still hum this to myself every now and again.

How long for an ad, never see the likes again, some many stars, massive budgets. Bring back woolworths sadly missed 😢😢😢

i always liked this ad. makes you smile, when you see all theold tech of the 80's . the song was so catchy, its a wonder it didden't get played on "top of the pops"!

Nice to see a proper size quality street tin unlike the small one's we get now.

@blazer666del

8 жыл бұрын

+dzucco1 Yes but it was £7 back in 1981! - Its much cheaper now, even with the smaller tins.

@dzucco1

8 жыл бұрын

+Derek Tweedie you're right £7 was quite a lot of money back then.

@blazer666del

6 жыл бұрын

Just for info £7 in 1981 is worth well over £24 in todays money! YIKES

@amandaa5104

5 жыл бұрын

i liked the marzipan sweet pity they took that one out

@cliveevans9795

5 жыл бұрын

I have two big quality street tins from 1977.. massive...

No idea why I thought about this ad today- February 2021. I remembered the theme tune out walking the dog - and here it is. I can remember it was probably the longest TV ad at the time.

When Christmas was really Christmas. Happy days.

Watching in 2019. Still love this ad.

I love this. They don't make adverts this good any more! This Christmas advert really DOES have the feel of Christmas and it's straight to the point throughout; no silly computer animations or silly characters.

@th8257

Жыл бұрын

Grumpy old man alert

That woolworth Max Bygraves Christmas Album 🤣When I was a tiny kid my dad used to make me laugh screwing his face up every time I'd point to the max Bygraves Christmas album. Sometimes I'd secretly put it in the shopping trolley and run away ha ha.

Christmas 2016 - Still listening to this...

Best Christmas advert ever loved the song nothing since beat Chricker Woolworths Christmas

Just had to watch this again to give me the Christmas spirit kick up the arse I needed

Woolies Cracking Christmas advert will never be beaten by any of the modern ads. It felt like Christmas and the ad never got shortened as they do now!

@th8257

2 жыл бұрын

Viewing figures of TV stations have gone way down because there's far more choice these days and more far more people stream TV on Netflix etc. This Woolworths advert was made when there were only 3 TV stations, only one of which did adverts (ITV), and some TV shows got up to 20 million viewers. That just doesn't exist now, so there's no point in spending so much on TV adverts.

ABSOLUTE CLASSIC tv ad! .. brings it all back ... omg i'm 13 again! ... love the cossacks at the end lol .

Going back to when I was an 8 years old brings back some memories.

Crying my eyes out listening to this!!! 9 years old,great times. Last great christmas s up till 89 !!

loved this the good old days

After my local Woolworths closed its doors it laid empty for 3 years and was then replaced by Peacocks and then last year Peacocks closed down and when the sign was removed the original Woolworths sign appeared and brought back thousands of memories

I remember when Woolies went bust, I couldn't believe it. Sure, they were not the first major UK retailer to go down the toilet, but I never thought it would happen to them, I mean they had been around for almost 100 years (and not being 100- all my life). Once that happened I though the high street has had it now. And it had!

i used to spend my pocket money on those records from woolworths!

That's magical. It's so perfect it could almost be a spoof. Could only be improved by Jimmy Saville jumping out of a giant present. 9.5/10

this really takes me back to when i was a kid...epic commercials back in those days:)

Still coming back in 2021... Best woolies ad

Love these … was just thinking looked like they filmed it on the generation game set 🤔 loved Woolies so much got all my 12inch vinyls there

Best ever advert. Shopping at Woolies at Christmas brings back memories and working at Wooolworths Twickenham 333 was magic at this time of the year. When the decorations come out each year so does this tune. I do miss Woolies.

@rajnirvan3336

7 жыл бұрын

Olly Epb Always religiously went there for toys and sweet

@rw8733

4 жыл бұрын

You could do your entire Christmas shop at Woolies.

@34tohayes

3 жыл бұрын

@@rw8733 And I did

Good to see the The Lancashire Hotpots and Spray have covered this!

I don't think I saw this advert. Then again though, I didn't watch TV properly until the 1990s. Still brings back memories though of a decade that I see as, in a way, innocent. I suppose everyone will see their teenage decade before 2000 as maybe innocent.

Cute! Catchy! Sent it to the ex who’s from London; he thought it was hilarious!! Can’t get that jingle out of my head now!! 😂

Quite depressing that the best song I have heard by quite a distance in 2021 is the Woolworths 1981 Christmas Advert.

01:40 The NOEL PINE bottle brush trees 🌲 I remember when everyone had one ❤

Still awesome to watch :)

I saw the Christmas album we had on the rack there...wow!

My favourite Christmas advert ever! What got me at the time was how long it was.

@plugsong

6 жыл бұрын

All the singers on this (I was one) loved the long versions. We got Equity vocal repeat royalties each time it was shown, and it used to pretty much pay for Xmas :)

@blazer666del

Жыл бұрын

@@plugsong Wow.. amazing.

Watched Don Estelle film his bit in the Luton Arndale Centre on my works lunch break - we could watch but we had to all be quiet when the director called "Action!"

@blazer666del

3 жыл бұрын

Amazing...

Oh how I miss Woolies!!😢😢😢

I always used to think they were singing "shopping's free" instead of "shopping spree"

@joshlunt7827

Жыл бұрын

Imagine if it was! Lol

When Christmas felt like Christmas

Have a cracking Christmas!

i remember waiting up for this advert after my parents said it was the best thing on telly at the time :))))) and it was!

How deep are those Quality Street tins ;) It amazes me that in 2022 we are buying much the same things as back in 1981... Vinyl, tapes, smellies, hair dryers etc. Bring back #Woolworths

@rob1979

8 ай бұрын

The problem is a lot more people are buying the thing you mentioned online. Part of Woolworths problem was they became too expensive and didn't develop an online presence, along with poor upper management.

Brilliant commercial. So much nostalgia. 1981 is my birth year so that's what makes it even more special to me and other people born in 1981 and others from around this special period in time. Gone but never forgotten. 1980s forever

Brings back memories. Loved shopping at Woolworths. Wished they never closed, they sold brilliant goods, not the cheap rubbish today.

@bobrew461

3 жыл бұрын

@TheRenaissanceman65 They were to blame for their own demise. I remember seeing Back to the Future boxset advertised on sale at Woolies in the paper for £9.99. But when i went to THREE of their stores none of them had it. False advertising! So I ordered it from Black Star (Remember them?) BTW, those shops were empty. Management should've foreseen the rise of the internet.

@bobrew461

3 жыл бұрын

@TheRenaissanceman65 Selling everything can work tho. Look at Lidl; They sell clothes, food, even electric drills! Same goes for Tesco. They made it work, but Woolworths didn't.

@bobrew461

3 жыл бұрын

@TheRenaissanceman65 It was all they had because they didn't adapt to change. They could've started selling tinned foods, then moved on to instal fridges in their shops and sold milk / sarnies etc. like Poundland did. But they were short sighted. Boots the Chemist is another disaster on the horizon...

@bobrew461

3 жыл бұрын

@TheRenaissanceman65 :-0 "Drug Runner" means something different in most cities. Anyways, Boots have major competition from Supadrug which have lower prices, and has invested in their stores which look bright a modern in comparison, as this will attract the younger shoppers. They also need to be aware of the companies that can deliver prescriptions for free...

Thank you for this magical memory

Look at the size of that quality street tin!

@rw8733

4 жыл бұрын

That's any boy's dream right there!

Used to munch on the pic n mix 🤣 when no one was looking 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

love this advert brings back happy memories from happy times

My Dad's side of the family traveled a couple times to London from the states back in the 60's and 70's. While most other Americans who did travel to the UK during the time had the coinage to shop at Harrods, Woolies was the high end street store to the blue collar relatives. How I found out about Woolies was I pillaging my Dad's tackle box and came across a stained and opened packet of Winfield snelled tiny as a flea, fish hooks. I showed them to an expat down the road from me. Ooh good ole Woolies he said.

Amazes me really that this did not kill business off . Got to be the most cheesy advert out this , especially that song . Wouldn't have minded a cracking christmas with Anita Harris mind .

I love this advert

I STILL HAVE MY BOXED SET OF GKN SCREWDIVER SET FROM 1981 THE SCREWDRIVER IS THE BEST I HAVE EVER OWENED IN 2020 THATS 39 YEARS OLD

@aw-h3875

2 жыл бұрын

Stop shouting!!!!

Now listen to ABBA's Super Trooper. :) Great ad.

I remember kids in the playground singing "Have a crappy Christmas at Woolworth's."

@robhollywood647

7 жыл бұрын

Ross Gowland how little they knew then.

@th8257

2 жыл бұрын

@@robhollywood647 not really though. Even back then, Woolies was a bit naff. There's a reason they went bust.

@aw-h3875

2 жыл бұрын

Have a crappy Christmas at Woolworth's A crapper of a Christmas shopping spree Woolworth's prices many of them crap now Christmas Woolworth's is the place to pee

The Cracking Christmas Woolworths ad thumbnail, looks like several DALEKS are standing at the back!

Christmas was fun back then loads of presents but not expensive.

Famous!

happy days...

@littlepouser2

3 жыл бұрын

Loved the song the woman’s voices and the piano was great

Soundtrack feels like a reworking of Super Trouper.

@traindriver35

5 жыл бұрын

SUP PA PA..... TROU PA PA 😃

@sibionic

4 жыл бұрын

YES!! I just left the same point. The opening acapella female vocals, the slightly shit male vocal decoration, close chord sequence

@twitchygiraffe4636

3 жыл бұрын

That’s exactly what they copied for this!!!!

@bobrew461

3 жыл бұрын

It is! And IIRC ABBA sued them over this ad.

@wisteela

3 жыл бұрын

@@bobrew461 Wow!

I loved that shop

@rajnirvan3336

7 жыл бұрын

rich turner So did I Woolworths was our childhood

I was 6! I don't think I remember this but I do remember Woollies.

Better than modern Christmas ads. They are far too arty and pretentious. I love that is appear to have been devised in an afternoon after a boozy lunch. Bung some Chinese women and Russian dancers in for no apparent reason!

@dream-67

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah not even real Chinese or Russy, how fab and kitsch ;)

@haruyasumi616

4 жыл бұрын

yeah, my 2019, 48 year old brain is really wondering now what the chinese stereotyping and cossacks is about.

'Have a crappy Christmas'

@jamescutler4515

5 жыл бұрын

Sounds a bit like " have a fecking Christmas" to me

@MrEggcake

4 жыл бұрын

@@jamescutler4515 At one point I heard it as "mother fucking christmas" in an east London type accent.

@twitchygiraffe4636

3 жыл бұрын

Crap ‘a’ long a christmas shopping spree! Sky high prices is it any wonder christmas at Woolworths shut down in 2009!!!!

@twitchygiraffe4636

3 жыл бұрын

Having just ruined that I do miss Woolies at christmas!!!!

My Nan had a tv video unit in teak brought from woolies about this time. It’s still in my mums shed for some reason and my Nan has been dead for 30 years.😂