The Ads That Made Us: Spray & Wipe, Pixie Caramel, and Decore

Whether it’s a childhood jingle that you can still sing word for word, or a campaign that influences the way you work today, everyone has an ad that has really stuck with them.

Mediaweek has been asking the industry to take a trip down memory lane, to find out all about the ads that made us.

Leanne Glamuzina - marketing lead, Boomtown

The Spray & Wipe series of television commercials

Who could forget the Spray & Wipe series?

I remember weeknights in front of the tele with the family and this advertisement standing out from the rest.

Featuring Paula Duncan, who I would read about in my mother’s "Woman’s Day" magazine was now frantically cleaning a house before unexpected guests arrive. She was brilliant!

I loved that they turned it into a series over a couple of decades.

The catchy jingle is what makes it so memorable for me and the relatability of a cleaning frenzy before guests arrive. 

Brad Stevens - executive creative director, Dept

Pixie Caramel – Any Last Request?

The 1980s Pixie Caramel ad is pure genius! Picture this: our hero facing a firing squad, calmly requesting a Pixie Caramel bar as his last indulgence. As he savours every chewy bite, the guards doze off, paving the way for his daring escape. This comedic twist on a tense moment is elevated by its awesome art direction, casting, styling and sound design making it an absolute classic.

Jessica Hunter - head of The Brag Media

The Decore Shampoo Ad

Forget the usual bubble bath routine – the Decore ad transformed our family shower time into something much more musical! Seeing a family, just like us, belting out the "du du du du du du du" jingle together in the ad sparked a new ritual. That simple melody, even today, transports me back, a testament to the power of music to transform the ordinary. Decore might not have been the most luxurious shampoo, but its ad brilliantly captured the magic music brings to everyday moments, turning a chore into a joyful family memory.

See also: The Ads That Made Us: Too Many Rabbits, Dikembe Mutombo, Evolution

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Top image: Leanne Glamuzina, Brad Stevens and Jessica Hunter