Hovis bring back iconic Ridley Scott "Boy on the Bike" advert
A remastered version of the classic 1973 advert aired on ITV
The iconic Hovis “Boy on the Bike” advert, directed by Ridley Scott, returned to screens on Monday night almost 50 years after it had last aired.
Scott’s short film, which was crowned the “most iconic UK advert of all time” in May and launched the career of the renowned director, was shown on ITV.
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The classic 1973 advert was remastered by Scott in conjunction with the British Film Institute national archive.
In the short film, a young boy can be seen pushing a bike with a basket full of bread up a steep cobbled hill to the strains of an unmistakable brass orchestral score.
The advert has undergone a 4K digital restoration, and the music, an excerpt from Dvořák's New World Symphony, has been re-recorded by a new generation of the original Ashington Colliery brass band.
Hovis said it hopes to introduce the advert to a new generation of viewers who still relate to its “core message of hard work, family and the strength of community”.
Director Scott, who went on to make the films Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator, said: “I’m thrilled that the ‘Boy on the Bike’ is still regarded as such an iconic and heartwarming story which remains close to the heart of the nation.
“I remember the filming process like it was yesterday, and its success represents the power of the advert.”
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