Brooke Bond D: Tea Party

If your afternoon tea sessions with the vicar's wife need enlivening, take the animated advice of this cultured cup and saucer.

From builder's brew to cleansing tonic or mid-afternoon conversational lubricant, the humble cup of tea carries many meanings. This cartoon television commercial tried to place the Brooke Bond D brand firmly in the middle ground by conjuring an air of sophistication (using the personification of posh herself, Penelope Keith), while undercutting any pretention through its comic ending.

The advert was produced by the studio of Richard Williams, best known as the animation director of Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). Born in Toronto, Richard Williams has been a fixture of the British animation scene since the 1950s, and is still working on his own short films today. His Soho Square studio was filled with international talents, including Disney veterans Art Babbitt and Milt Kahl, with thousands of commercials like this one helping train a new generation of animators.