In 1961 a puny, freckle-faced child in NHS spectacles and a cowboy suit strode through a set of saloon doors and yelled: “The Milky Bars are on me”. The Milkybar Kid has been used in television advertising since, promoting the white chocolate confection produced by Nestlé since 1936 and sold worldwide.
The original Milky Bar Kid was Terry Brooks (1961 -1966). Boys who filled the role in subsequent years included John Cornelius (1974 -1978); Robbie Humphries (1983 – 1986); Anthony Eden (1988 – 1991); Simon Desborough (1990 – 1993) and Gareth Watchman (1994 – 1996).
Milky Bars were advertised in a very different way in the 1950s: “Surprise! Delight!! It’s Milky White!!!”