ACCORDING TO this page on the Interweb, one of the most famous advertising slogans ever was by Boase Massimi Pollitt in 1974 for instant spuds – “for mash get Smash”.
“Smash” was a smash hit in the 1970s for those who could not be bothered to peel a spud but instead pour boiling water on stuff that instantly became mashed potato (not the dance).
I have a confession to make. In the early 1970s I worked as a PR for an advertising agency called MMR. Its clients included the 18-30 Club (I was 27), Marshall Amps, Zildjian Cymbals, Rose-Morris, and a laboratory which introduced a weird way to stop smoking by using cigarette holders which gradually cut you down over four weeks to the point you were smoking air. The phrase was “cognitive dissonance”, but you could still smoke everywhere, then.
The firm, MMR (Mukerjee, Maisey, Russell), was also the spinner for the prep school association in the UK, for someone who played the silver flute, and the agency really was quite creative, in an advertising sort of a way. They all were quite pally with journalists who worked for Campaign magazine, down in the Covent Garden of the early 1970s.
I had to organise a press gig for the 18-30 club in the Covent Garden of the early 1970s. The 18-30 Club was then headed up by someone who to me seemed like quite an old geezer, but it was the attitude of the Sun journalists that stiffened my sinews. “Mike,” he said. “You seem like quite a decent bloke. Tell me what really happens on 18-30 holidays.” I couldn’t. As the temporary PR, I just had to organise events and never got to go abroad, although I did a tour with Marshall Amps across the UK in the early 70s with frantic executives from Rose-Morris asking me if I knew anything about punk. Naturally, I didn’t know. I had been a mod 10 years earlier, complete with scooter. I was passe.
And so on to the picture of Aloo Mash. There’s nothing nicer than Aloo Mash with a knob of butter. The bull above the butter is Nandi, the vehicle of Lord Shiva. Δ
