The Mustard Club Topical Budget

An advertisement for Colman's Mustard suggesting how it not only tastes good but also benefits your general health.

A spoof newsreel film and an advertising film for Colman's Mustard that encourages eating mustard as a means to good health. The Baron de Beef is laying the foundation stone at an official ceremony at the Ministry of the Interior. Two boys in livery carry on a giant mustard pot, which is presented to the Baron. He uses the mustard as mortar to lay the stone. The following sequence is of an athletics meeting showing Master Mustard winning the steeplechase and being presented with his cup. The film depicts a character called Lord Bacon the famous middleweight in training. After training his lordship takes a mustard bath and later, he is shown at dinner, spooning mustard onto his meal. The final sequence is at the Mustard Club Annual Banquet that introduces members of the Mustard Club. Chefs prepare the mustard that is brought to the table with the meat. Smaller mustard pots, stamped with 'Colman's' are filled. The members proceed with their banquet which begins with the toast and the Mustard Club sits down to eat. The final scene is of a picture of Colman's Bath Mustard and Colman's mustard. Baron de Beef runs a mustard bath; Miss Di Gester buys a packet of mustard.

Keywords

Colman's; Food; Advertisements

Intertitles

An addition to the programme.Baron de Beef lays the Foundation Stone - at the New Ministry of the Interior. The Foundations of Health are of course best laid with mustard.Athletic Meeting of the Mustard Club. The next item on the programme is the race for the big pot - the mustard pot! Master Mustard wins by a good digestion. Lovely Miss Di Gester presents the prizes.Mind you keep it filled with mustard. Lord Bacon the famous middlewight in training.Taking the steam out of training. He's got the 'brawn He's got the 'beef'. He's got the mustard too.The Mustard Club Annual Banquet.Master Mustard. Lord Bacon. Miss Di Gester, secretary of the Mustard Club.The President of the mustard Club - The Baron de Beef.Lady Hearty.Signor Spaghetti. Lord Mutton. Good mixers. Bring in the meat and mustard!

Background Information

The Mustard Club campaign was the brainchild of the advertising agency S.H. Benson and was launched on September 28th, 1926. The advertising campaign ran until March, 1933. The first advertisements appeared on London buses. These were followed by pictures of the Mustard Club members. A recipe book was produced which listed mustard as an ingredient in every recipe. Most of the copy for the advertising campaign was written by Dorothy L. Sayers. The Mustard Club campaign was very successful. J&J Colman had to create a special office to deal with the work generated. At its peak, the Mustard Club received 2,000 applications requesting badges every day. There were Mustard Club songs, books, fancy dress costumes, postcards and a card game. (See D. Cleveland, East Anglia On Film, Poppyland Publishing, 1987.) See also Do You Remember the Mustard Club?