Schweppes Tonic [00:30]# The new spots for Schweppes Tonic come disguised as a “Temporary Campaign.” All we see throughout the entire campaign is a can of Schweppes Tonic and glass filled with it. And, of course, we hear John Cleese’s humorous voice over. In the first spot he tells us that not only Schweppes Tonic is sophisticated. His agent is too, which means that it’ll take some time until the viewer gets a chance to see a “proper” Schweppes campaign. In the second commercial he informs us that negotiations are now under way, he can now go so far as to say that drinking Schweppes on its own may be “a pretty good idea.” If the additional 5% in his contract come through, he might even say that it’s a “brilliant idea.”
In the next spot there is still nothing to be seen but the can and the glass of Schweppes Tonic. The reason this time, Cleese informs us, is that Schweppes are “in two minds” whether the taste for Schweppes is “sophisticated” (“might sound a bit poncy”) or “acquired” (“how long does it take to acquire it – an evening or an epoch?”) Until Schweppes have made up their minds the viewer will have to make up his own slogan. In spot number 4, Schweppes have finally decided that the Tonic’s taste “is not so sophisticated after all”, now they can’t decide whether Schweppes Tonic has “citric bet” or zesty tang.” The viewers are asked to press one of the pulsating yellow/green boxes that appear on the screen to express their opinion on this urgent matter. In the fifth spot, finally the British public has decided “as one man, or rather as two.” Two people apparently voted for “citric bite” while none voted for “zesty tang.” A clear result.