Colman's Self-Rising Flour




Here, Colman's are using classical British icons to sell their brand of self-rising flour. Britannia herself is not only present she even uses her shield and the Royal Coat of Arms to promote the product. Companies were keen to gain royal approval for their products and keenly sought to have the Royal household use their goods. It is not too difficult to see that they wished to project the idea that if it was good enough for royalty then it was good enough for anybody. The bull is also highly symbolic. Britain is usually associated with the Bulldog rather than the Bull, but few people would have been unable to make the subtle link between the broad, fat powerful animals and their association with that of the British Empire. The Bull is also playing on the informal name of John Bull which was often used to describe Britain. Colman's would hope that all this powerful imagery would make the customer feel confident that their product was as fine an institution as that of the Empire itself.


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by Stephen Luscombe