# Who can recall TV adverts for Vosene medicated shampoo? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** commercials-ads\ **Created:** [January 18, 2024, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-can-recall-tv-adverts-for-vosene-medicated-shampoo/996253 "2024-01-18T02:17:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![philipdalton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/85e7bf/32.png) [@philipdalton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/philipdalton)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2024, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-can-recall-tv-adverts-for-vosene-medicated-shampoo/996253/1 "2024-01-18T02:17:20Z")
These ads used to show green blobs falling across the screen. Here’s one: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/lvfwoviugug/hqdefault.jpg "Vosene Medicated Shampoo Advert (1980s)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvfwoviugug) ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2024, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-can-recall-tv-adverts-for-vosene-medicated-shampoo/996253/2 "2024-01-18T10:46:26Z")
Since this is about the commercial itself and not a factual question about the product, let’s move this to CS (from FQ). ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-can-recall-tv-adverts-for-vosene-medicated-shampoo/996253/3 "2024-01-19T01:43:48Z")
I assume these were UK commercials? ---
**Author:** ![philipdalton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/85e7bf/32.png) [@philipdalton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/philipdalton)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-can-recall-tv-adverts-for-vosene-medicated-shampoo/996253/4 "2024-01-19T12:18:36Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > I assume these were UK commercials? Not necessarily, hair care products are advertised all around the world. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-can-recall-tv-adverts-for-vosene-medicated-shampoo/996253/5 "2024-01-19T13:35:14Z")
But _you_ know if you were in the UK when you saw them, right? ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-can-recall-tv-adverts-for-vosene-medicated-shampoo/996253/6 "2024-01-19T14:07:34Z")
Yes, let’s start with known things. Like, OP knew where they were when they saw those commercials. FWIW, I don’t even recognize the brand, let alone the commercial (US here) but I’m pretty marketing-insensitive, so YMMV. ETA: Wikipedia thinks it’s a UK brand. That may limit how strong a response @philipdalton gets here. > **[Vosene](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vosene)** > > Vosene is a brand of medicated shampoo, intended to provide relief from dandruff. It is widely available in the United Kingdom in 250 ml bottles. > Vosene was established in 1949, becoming famous for its medicated formula and remedying dandruff. It was used by generations of British families, but lost favour in the 1980s. > Vosene shampoo is available in four varieties: > Original Medicated, Frequent Anti-Dandruff, 2 in 1 Gentle Action and Activating Shampoo. > The Original formula contains salicylic ... ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-can-recall-tv-adverts-for-vosene-medicated-shampoo/996253/7 "2024-01-19T14:13:14Z")
I remember I tried using it as eye drops, and it was a disaster. One vowel can make a big difference, people! ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-can-recall-tv-adverts-for-vosene-medicated-shampoo/996253/8 "2024-01-19T14:15:37Z")
> [@philipdalton](#): > > Not necessarily, hair care products are advertised all around the world. As far as I know, that shampoo was never sold or advertised in the US. Selsun Blue is the go-to medicated shampoo here. ---
**Author:** ![philipdalton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/85e7bf/32.png) [@philipdalton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/philipdalton)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-can-recall-tv-adverts-for-vosene-medicated-shampoo/996253/9 "2024-01-19T20:29:28Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > But _you_ know if you were in the UK when you saw them, right? Of course I was in the UK when I saw them. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-can-recall-tv-adverts-for-vosene-medicated-shampoo/996253/10 "2024-01-19T20:34:13Z")
The reference to “adverts” was a clue. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![philipdalton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/85e7bf/32.png) [@philipdalton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/philipdalton)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-can-recall-tv-adverts-for-vosene-medicated-shampoo/996253/11 "2024-01-22T23:02:14Z")
Here’s an old one from the days of black & white TV. https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7323170454070480160 ---
**Author:** ![philipdalton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/85e7bf/32.png) [@philipdalton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/philipdalton)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-can-recall-tv-adverts-for-vosene-medicated-shampoo/996253/12 "2024-01-24T11:54:39Z")
The second ad in this commercial break: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/tDA5i6LuJa4/hqdefault.jpg "[720p/50p] ITV Thames | News at Ten and continuity | 11th December 1979 | Part 2 of 2") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDA5i6LuJa4) ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-can-recall-tv-adverts-for-vosene-medicated-shampoo/996253/13 "2024-01-24T12:06:13Z")
> [@philipdalton](#): > > These ads used to show green blobs falling across the screen. To be accurate, that clip shows a golden-brown blob falling across the green. My brother worked in advertising, and made a couple of TV adverts; no computer modelling in those days - that ‘blob’ of whatever colour would have been an analog blob of some kind, probably a real blob of liquid filmed closeup. ---
**Author:** ![philipdalton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/85e7bf/32.png) [@philipdalton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/philipdalton)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-can-recall-tv-adverts-for-vosene-medicated-shampoo/996253/14 "2024-01-24T12:51:03Z")
Notice how the tune featured in the background of these ads was almost identical to that used in the eighties: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/987dKMd8sgg/maxresdefault.jpg "ATV adverts & announcer Kevin Morrision in-vision 25th December 1979 1 of 4") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=987dKMd8sgg)