From gloriously unhealthy snack foods to clinking bottles of sugary fizz, the brands that kids loved in the 1960s and 70s were more local and less slick – economic globalisation and the science of marketing were still in their infancy. Maybe that’s why these home-grown brands feel a little like long-lost friends.
Here are four of our favourites. Luckily, some of them have not disappeared completely…
Slades
Those really were the days, when you could get crates of sugar-laden soft drink delivered to your door, guilt-free. Slades, Loys and Marchants trucks would ply suburban streets, the childish joy occasioned by their arrival second only to that of the tinkling gelati van. Survivor Slades still delivers, but sadly delivery is no longer heralded by the sounds of jingling bottles of portello and creamy soda – they’re now packaged in plastic.
Colvan chips
Produced in Fitzroy, Melbourne, Colvan chips were big in the 1950s and 60s – you might remember the notorious In Melbourne Tonight anti-ad when Graham Kennedy tipped out the chips and smashed them up to show how few chips were actually in the bag – some things never change! After a long series of ownership changes Colvan disappeared, but lives on in the Samboy brand, which was once a Colvan variety.
Tarax
Victorian company Tarax was a soft drink giant of the 60s and 70s with a rainbow of unforgettable flavours like Tarino (orange) and Sunshine Pine. And who could forget those saucy ads featuring Abigail from Number 96 drinking Black Label lemonade from a champagne glass, or the legendary Solo Man?
Choo Choo Bars, Redskins and White Knights
Lollies in the 60s and 70s were high-value propositions, with long-lasting beauties that were stuck in your teeth for hours. The gradual demise of the corner milk bar meant the end of many old favourites, but chewy liquorice Choo Choo Bars (which disappeared for over 20 years), stretchy raspberry Red Skins and choc-coated, chewy mint White Knights can still be found at some confectionery specialists.
