Advertising in the 1960s and 1970s was a little different today. When it came to airlines, they showcased whatever they could to set them apart from the competition, as you will see in these BOAC Vickers VC10 TV commercials.

While these are not as overtly sexual like a particular Lufthansa TV ad from the era, they are still a real treat to see. It’s a lovely peek into a bygone era, the days of the jetset.

BOAC Vickers VC10 TV Ads

First off is an ad from 1972 touting the fact the Vickers VC10 is flying out of Birmingham across the Atlantic. “Smooth, relaxing as a Sunday afternoon” is some way to describe a plane. It’s been a long time since British Airways have had transatlantic service out of BHX!

The next VC10 TV ad runs for a minute and you see quite a lot of cabin, with some great examples of the fashions of the era worn by the passengers. Perhaps you’ll remember the slogan, “BOAC Takes Good Care of You”.

Clearly some creativity went into the next one, the way the camera moves is very well done and totally unexpected. It essentially gives you a walk through visual tour of the whole cabin. Looks very comfortable! Was this also designed by Robin Day like the Super VC10 one?

For the aviation geeks out there, the next one features lots of exterior shots of the aircraft flying about. It’s all set to a very rousing soundtrack, which works really well.

Finally, there is an ad where a little girl wants to be a BOAC stewardess. It’s all shot in the cabin of the Vickers VC10, which looks quite comfortable.

I quite like the slogan – “For some people, there is only one airline”. I’m sure for a lot of frequent flyers that is very much the case. It certainly is with me!

Overall Thoughts

It’s fun to see the BOAC VC10 TV ads from the 1960s and 1970s. The one which just focusses on the plane is something you won’t see today, because all airlines fly the same type of equipment.

Only BOAC operated the British manufactured VC10 at the time, which, with its distinctive looks, featured in much advertising of the time. For those wanting a deep dive into the aircraft, the website A Little VC10derness is the definitive source for all things VC10 online.

What do you think of these VC10 TV commercials? Do you remember seeing them back when they originally aired? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.

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Featured image by Richard Vandervord on Airliners.net via Wikimedia Commons.