By Nathan Lee, TLE Correspondent
The iconic Asda ‘pocket tap’ ad has appeared on screens after a lengthy absence to celebrate the supermarket’s 50th anniversary.
The commercial first appeared in 1977 and over the years featured celebrities like Carry On legend Hattie Jacques, actress Julie Walters and former England football star Michael Owen. Indeed, the pocket tap became so associated with Asda that the Royal Association for Deaf People adopted it as sign language for the supermarket.
To mark the return of the famous ad, store chiefs at the Old Kent Road branch brought in TV magician Ben Hanlin to conjure up fivers into their back pockets.
At one point he made fivers appear from bread rolls, a sealed packet of crisps and unopened yoghurt pots (see video below).
The most popular trick was when he made £5 and £10 notes vanish into thin air only for them to appear into volunteers’ back pocket to keep.
A survey of 2,000 Brits named Ice cream, a cold pint of beer and a big box of Quality Street as the things guaranteed to put a smile on your face for under a fiver.
Other items many would spend the cash on were a new pair of socks, a scratch card and a new nail varnish. A pack of crumpets, a Mars bar and a best-selling novel will also cheer you up without breaking the bank. Fresh fruit, a DVD and a bottle of wine are sure fire ways to put a smile on your face for under a fiver, as are sweets, a cupcake and new underwear.
And you’ll be certain to have better day if you buy a new moisturiser, a bunch of flowers and a pack of candles with a five pound note.
Mammy Maguire, Asda spokeswoman said: “We wanted to get back to showcasing the fun and personality which we think makes Asda special.
“This played a big part in us deciding to bring back the Pocket Tap, we know it’s popular with a lot of the British public. We wanted to get Ben Hanlin involved to help us give something back to our loyal customers – through the art of magic and illusion.
“Hopefully the lucky customers who walked away with a little extra cash will have treated themselves to something nice on us. We hope that our survey which looks at the best things for under a fiver that will put a smile on your face will give our customers some inexpensive inspiration – ice cream is definitely a good place to start”
