Severn Advertising: The Creative Legacy of Kidderminster’s 1960s-70s Advertising Industry

original 1970s Brochure

Severn Advertising was a notable advertising agency based in Kidderminster during the 1960s and 1970s and where Peter Donnelly got his first job in the Advertising Industry.

 axminster carpets

 A time when the industry was undergoing significant transformation. Known for its creative and strategic approach, the agency played a key role in shaping regional and national advertising campaigns.


During this era, advertising moved beyond simple print ads to embrace television, radio, and striking billboard designs. Severn Advertising thrived in this dynamic landscape, crafting compelling campaigns that captured the attention of consumers and reflected the shifting cultural trends of the time. The agency's work was characterized by bold visuals, persuasive copywriting, and innovative marketing strategies that resonated with businesses looking to expand their reach.

 Debrett Wilton

While larger agencies in London dominated the national scene, Severn Advertising became a respected player in the Midlands, helping local businesses establish strong brand identities. Its legacy is a testament to the golden age of advertising, where creativity and storytelling were at the heart of successful campaigns.

Severn Advertising Agency Kidderminster
Petes sat on the floor in this shot!

Kidderminster, a town deeply rooted in the textile and carpet industry, was home to one of the region’s most influential advertising agencies of the 1960s and 1970s—Severn Advertising. This creative powerhouse played a crucial role in shaping the visual and commercial identity of many local and national businesses during the golden era of advertising.

The Rise of Severn Advertising

During the post-war economic boom, Kidderminster was thriving as the carpet capital of the UK. As the demand for high-quality advertising grew, Severn Advertising emerged as a key player, helping businesses establish their brands through striking photography, compelling print advertisements, and innovative marketing campaigns.

 

In an era dominated by bold visuals and persuasive copywriting, the agency’s work reflected the cultural and commercial shifts of the time. Companies were moving away from traditional word-of-mouth marketing and investing in polished, professional advertising materials to reach a broader audience. Severn Advertising was at the forefront of this transition, providing creative solutions that captured the essence of the products they promoted.

Photography and Nostalgic Advertising

One of Severn Advertising’s strongest assets was its use of high-quality photography. The 1960s and 70s saw a shift towards visually-led advertising, where professionally shot images replaced hand-drawn illustrations in brochures, magazines, and billboards. Severn Advertising capitalized on this trend, producing nostalgic, evocative photography that showcased the craftsmanship and elegance of Kidderminster’s textile and carpet industry.

Their ads often featured rich, warm-toned imagery of luxurious carpets draped across grand interiors, reinforcing the idea of British quality and comfort. The use of stylish models, mid-century furniture, and dramatic lighting brought a sense of sophistication to their campaigns, making the advertisements as much about aspirational living as about the products themselves.

Major Companies and Industries Served

Severn Advertising’s client portfolio included some of the biggest names in the textile and carpet industry. Kidderminster was home to renowned manufacturers like Brintons, Victoria Carpets, and Gaskell Wool Rich, all of whom relied on the agency’s expertise to market their products effectively.

 

Beyond carpets, the agency worked with local retailers, manufacturing firms, and even national brands, helping them craft memorable advertising materials that stood out in newspapers, trade magazines, and storefronts. Whether it was a full-scale advertising campaign or a simple but elegant product catalog, Severn Advertising ensured that every piece of work reflected the highest standards of creativity and professionalism.

The Legacy of Severn Advertising

 

The 1960s and 70s were a golden age for advertising, and Severn Advertising left a lasting mark on Kidderminster’s business landscape. While the advertising industry has evolved with digital media, the nostalgic charm of mid-century advertising remains iconic. Many of the agency’s campaigns still evoke a sense of vintage elegance, reflecting a time when marketing was all about bold storytelling, stunning visuals, and meticulous craftsmanship.

 

For those who remember the heyday of Kidderminster’s carpet industry, Severn Advertising played a crucial role in defining the visual identity of an era. Their work stands as a testament to the power of creative advertising in shaping not just brands, but the cultural and economic history of a town that wove its success into the very fabric of British industry.


"As If It Were Yesterday" softback book 153 pages photographs and poetry including all from this series on Brierley Hill & Round Oak - available only on Amazon

"As If It Were Yesterday" softback book 153 pages photographs and poetry available only on Amazon
Birmingham & The Black Country Remembered 1962 - 1965

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Were-Yesterday-Birmingham-Photographs-Remembered/dp/1704391431


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

The Telegraph

Peter Donnelly's prize-winning essay offers a brilliant example of how local, and often unprepossessing, backgrounds can provide the material for an outstanding colour story. All his photographs were taken within a few miles of his home in Birmingham, Brierley Hill, at Blackheath, Bilston and Cradley Heath. He took them over a period of several months while on weekend walks along the deserted banks of the local canals. "Most evenings I never met a soul," Mr Donnelly recalls. "There was an air of isolation, and often desolation, over the whole scene, and this is what I have tried to capture in my photographs." The camera used was a Pentakon F and the film Agfa and Kodachrome.
by Dr Carl Chinn MBE
Peter Donnelly was born in Birmingham, educated at Corpus Christi junior school, Stechford and later at the holy rosary, Saltley. While at the Holy Rosary he took and passed a drawing examination for Moseley school of art at which he spent several years tuning his artistic talent.

On leaving the art school he joined Birmingham printers, Sam Currier & Son in brook street, St Pauls square, as an apprentice commercial artist. After completing his apprenticeship he left Sam Currier and worked at various printers and advertising agencies gaining valuable experience before starting with his working associate Bob Burns (typographer). Donnelly Burns Graphic Design studio was in Chapel Street, Lye before moving to larger premises in Cradley heath then Harborne.

Before starting the business Peter entered and won the Sunday Telegraph national photographic competition. He submitted an essay of photographs illustrating the demise of the Birmingham and Black Country canals with fellow photographer Norman Fletcher. To Peter and Norman, Midlands photographers and photographic societies seemingly had ignored the once great industrial arena that surrounded their everyday lives.

What an arena! what powerful exiting subjects for the camera; neglected canals, weed and web woven towpaths, old worn out narrow boats – redundant and half submerged in silted murky brown waters; steam trains rattling, hissing and bumping their waggons into line and the rail men who worked the line at that time.

Old foundries, run down factories and scrapyards – the industrial flotsam of a once great manufacturing region. Many six o’clock early morning starts were walked and many miles covered by Peter and his camera.

Now over 60 years later, photographs taken during those early excursions are being published - looking back at the time, long before the surge of change and reconstruction 1962 - 1965