This “modern monkey” is the new PG Tips spokesperson.

Tea and advertising goes hand in hand.  In fact, Sir. Thomas Lipton helped develop the modern advertising world with his “It’s Brisk”  Ceylon tea campaign.

In Britain, PG Tips has had a unique and ongoing advertisement series for many years featuring the P.G. Chimps.  The  chimpanzees began appearing in 1956 commercials and often featured the voices of well known English actors like Peter Sellers and Bob Monkhouse.  The chimps were dressed as a typical British family known as “The Tipps.”

The “Tipps” help bring the tea from 4th to 1st place in 1958 in the U.K. but in the mid 1970’s the campaign was banned due to animal rights activism.  After 18 months out of the limelight, the “Tipps” family came back to help raise the tea bar once again.  In 2002 the Tipps chimps retired leaving behind a variety of collectible memorabilia such as t-shirts, trading cards and various figurines.

Over the years P.G. Tips has sported the following tea slogans:

“How would you describe the taste?”

“Do your bit, put the kettle on”

“We All Need a PG Moment”

“There’s no other tea to beat PG”  “It’s the taste!” spoken by a chimp
“Dad, do you know the piano’s on my foot?” MR SHIFTER: You hum it son, I’ll play it!

“Avez-vous un cuppa?” (Tour De France)
“It’s the Tea you can really Taste”

P.G. Tips was founded by Arthur Brooke.  The name P.G. came from Pre-Gest-Tea.  The name implied that you could drink a cup of tea and then easily digest your food.  The name was shorted to P.G.  and has remained to this day.   The word “tipps” refers to the fact that only the top two leaves and the buds are used when making the tea.  The tea tipps.

Want to walk down memory lane with me?  Here are a few fun “Tipps” family commercials you are sure to enjoy.

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