"Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet" was an advertising campaign for Hamlet Cigars, which ran on television from 1966 until all tobacco advertising on television was banned in the UK in 1991.[1] The campaign returned in cinemas in 1996, continuing there until 1999,[2] with the final commemorative advert and the modified tagline, "Happiness will always be a cigar called Hamlet."[3]
The slogan and the entire campaign was created by the Collett Dickenson Pearce agency in 1966. The premise is that a man finds himself in an awkward or embarrassing situation and lights a Hamlet cigar. Lighting and smoking this cigar makes him smile and forget his woes. The adverts used an excerpt from a jazz rendition of Johann Sebastian Bach's Air on the G String, played by Jacques Loussier and his trio, which is still frequently associated with the brand.[4]
The advertisements featured in television, radio and cinema commercials, various print media, and on billboards. One advert featured the 1982 Channel 4 blocks forming the number 5, then rewinding and then forming a jumbled mess, which then turned into a face with a cigar, making it smile. This advert was played from 1982 until 1989.[5]
Numerous celebrities appeared in the adverts, including Ian Botham,[6] Ronnie Corbett, and Gregor Fisher in the guise of his "Baldy Man" character (from Naked Video), attempting to use a photo booth[7] and later attempting to get a family portrait
The actor and comedian Russ Abbot spent years advertising Hamlet cigars.[8]
The advert was listed as the eighth greatest television advertisement of all time by Channel 4 in 2000. Both the original Channel 4 ident and the Hamlet advert spoofing the ident were made by Martin Lambie-Nairn.[9] Furthermore, the advert was ranked as the ninth greatest advertisement in an ITV list made in 2005[10] and as the third funniest television advertisement ever by Campaign Live in 2008.[11]