Claytons

For the school in the United Kingdom, see Bourne End, Buckinghamshire#Education.

Claytons is the brand name of a non-alcoholic, non-carbonated beverage coloured and packaged to resemble bottled whisky. It was the subject of a major marketing campaign in Australia and New Zealand in the 1970s and 1980s, promoting it as "the drink you have when you're not having a drink" at a time when alcohol was being targeted as a major factor in the road death toll. The jingle was written by Australian social satirist, John McKellar.^[1]

The product has not been advertised on television for thirty years (at 2015), yet it remains widely known. The name has entered into Australian and New Zealand vernacular where it stands for an ersatz or dummy thing, or something that is obviously ineffective. For example, a common-law couple might be described as having a "Claytons marriage". A knowledgeable but unqualified handyman could be referred to as a "Claytons carpenter". The term can also be used as an insult; e.g., "Sydney University is a Claytons university".

Product history

According to the product label, Claytons was "originally blended and bottled by the Clayton Brothers for the Pure Water Company, Battersea, London, in the 1880s. According to 1980s labelling it was "made from African kola nuts and citrus essences". The product, bottled by Beecham, was taken off the market in New Zealand but continued to be distributed in Australia through Orlando Wines and later Cadbury-Schweppes.

As of 2007 the Claytons brand is still being used by Armstrong Agencies Ltd in Barbados, though the product is called Claytons Kola Tonic. This particular brand is also available in Australia from vendors such as Woolworths

Circa 1947 Bottle
Base of same bottle with the imprint "Clayton Bros"

Commercial outtake

On Parkinson, a humorous outtake of the Claytons commercial was shown. It featured a slurring Jack Thompson saying the line "Claytons.....for the drink I have....when they won't let me drink anymore....know what I mean", followed by a roar of laughter by his co-stars.

In popular culture

Though the product is largely forgotten, the phrase "Claytons" has entered the Australian and New Zealand vernacular with two different, but related, meanings:

Same word, different thing - Many regarded Claytons as a poor taste substitute, and the promotional campaign was ridiculed at the time. Subsequently, the term "Claytons" entered the vocabulary of both countries, used as an adjective to signify a compromise which satisfies no-one, or any form of inferior substitute or low-quality imitation, largely synonymous with the word "ersatz". For example, a hasty or temporary repair may be only a "Claytons solution" to a problem.

Different word, same thing - Claytons may also refer to something essentially the same but going by a different name. So for instance before an election is officially called there is the "Claytons election campaign": the election campaign you're having when you're not having an election campaign.

The term is primarily used by people old enough to remember the original advertising campaign, but it is still widely used throughout both countries, especially in political debate.

The commercial also generated another catch-phrase which became common in New Zealand and Australia. Before turning to camera at the start of the ad, our Claytons-drinking hero (played by Jack Thompson) tells the punch-line of a joke to the barman: "... And then this guy says 'Now we can all get some sleep!' " After completing a particularly irksome task - perhaps changing a tyre in the rain, or dropping 12 children off to their respective houses after a noisy birthday party - one can say "Now we can all get some sleep" to put a humorous full stop on the event.

In the original advertisement, set in a bar, this "punchline" was greeted with uproarious laughter, followed by the barman saying "What'll you have?"

Jack: Claytons, thanks, Brian.

Bloke in Bar: On the wagon, Jack?

Jack. No. When I don't feel like alcohol, I have Claytons.

Voice-over: Claytons. The drink you have when you're not having a drink.

Claytons is also the name given to the South Island Intervarsity Novice Debating Champtionships, named after the drink as the "debating tournament you go to when you're not debating

The phrase "and Now we can all get some sleep!'" Followed by laughter is used during the Wiggles Meet The Orchestra DVD when introducing the next song. A subtle parent joke.

References

↑ Brown, Malcolm (16 September 2010). "Writer made us laugh at ourselves". The Sydney Morning Herald (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 22 November 2012.

External links

Official website
- Claytons on Facebook
Armstrong Agencies Ltd, the current distributor in Barbados
Examples of the term's use in New Zealand:
Examples of the term's use in Australia:

Barbadian cuisine

Staples / Entrée	Bay leaf Breadfruit Garlic Green onion Onion Parsley Pea Potato Pumpkin Rice Scotty bon peppers Yam

Common Barbadian dishes	Bakes Cou-cou and flying fish Fish cakes Fried fish Macaroni pie Peas and rice Pelau Black pudding and Souse Proper pork

Soups / Stews	Cow heel soup Curry goat stew Lamb stew

Salads / Wraps / Cutters	Lime and Salt Roti wrap

Snacks / Desserts	Banana bread Black bitch Cassava Pone Coconut bread Conkies Jug-Jug Great cake Lead pipes Rum cake Salt bread Sugar cakes Sweetbread

Beverages	Banks beer Claytons Kola Tonic Falernum Ginger beer Mauby Rum Sorrel

Condiments	Bajan pepper sauce Bajan herb seasoning

Utensils	Cou-cou stick Swizzle stick

Category

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