1948, London
Ovaltine becomes the official drink of the 1948 summer Olympics in London.
1953, Nepal
Climber Sir Edmund Hillary packs Ovaltine for his ascent to Mount Everest.
1950s-60s, Worldwide
The post-war boom sees the reemergence of the Ovaltineys, both on radio and television. In 1955, Captain Midnight promotes Ovaltine in one of the first advertisements on commercial television. New products also begin to emerge, including PDQ-branded drinking mixes in chocolate, eggnog and strawberry flavours, as well as teething rusks and food products.
1971, Watford
Ovaltine fan and spokesperson, Mohammed Ali, greets fans at the Ovaltine factory. The boxing legend charms locals throughout England, using his trademark wit to drop tongue-in-cheek zingers like:
“If I lose this fight, I’ll be the worst fighter you’ve ever seen, I’ll blame it all on Ovaltine”
1983, Hollywood
In the film A Christmas Story, character Ralphie is depicted as an avid Ovalteeny, listening eagerly to the Little Orphan Annie radio show and decoding a secret message about Ovaltine.
1980s-90s, Australia
In lunch boxes across the country, one itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny snack towers above the rest. Ovalteenies, with their tasty flavour, satisfying crunch and iconic character-led advertising, becomes a beloved treat that still gets people talking today.
Fun fact: the product was briefly changed from a circle shape to an oval shape (to match the name) but swift outcry resulted in the original round shape being reinstated.
1996, Los Angeles
In an episode of Seinfeld, Jerry tries out some new material.“Why do they call it Ovaltine? The mug is round; the jar is round... they should call it Roundtine.”
2002, London
Ovaltine proudly becomes a Twinings brand.
By now, Ovaltine is not only at home in Britain, the USA, Switzerland, Canada and Australia, but also in China, Thailand, Brazil, the Philippines and Malaysia, with products ranging from powders to ready-made drinks, ice creams, biscuits, chocolate bars and spreads.
Today, here and now
In its 157 year history, the humble mug of Ovaltine has remained a comforting constant in an ever-changing world. We think it’s time for the next chapter in its story.
So, Ovaltine is back in a big way. In addition to new designs for our tins, we have exciting new products alongside classic favourites. Here’s to another 157 years.