Bovril Ltd.

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 6841, 23 April 1932, Page 8

Bovril Ltd.

FJKOBDBMS OF UJN STABLE EXCHANGE.

HUMOUR IN ADVERTISING

Presiding at the Thirty-Fifth Annual General Meeting of Bovril Ltd., held in London, on 24th February, 1932, the Lord Luko of Pavonham (chairman) said tho Bovril Australian subsidiary ran their cattle estate of many million acres in Australia; whilst the Argentine Estates of Bovril Limited performed a similar service in the Argentine. Effective Advertising. Tho advertising all over tho world had cost them about the same, and, at any rate at home, seemed to have been as effective as usual in keeping up their sales, in spite of conditions that could not quite be called normal. Problems of Unstable Exchange. He was begining to believe that the vagaries of exchange were a worse hindrance to overseas business than even high tariffs. In the case of tho latter they did have something fixed to base calculations upon, but since Governments began to interfere with the exchanges ruling in their respective corrfitries, there had been little market in forward exchange, and unless one was able to deal in cxclmngo for a future date, it was not safo to quoto for a forward contract in tho currency of the buyer, and they could realiso what a hindrance that was to business.

Britain’s Bottle,

An American journal had recently published, under tho title “Britain’s Bottle,” a lively, if somewhat highly coloured, history of the Company. The writer attributed much of the success of Bovril to tho Directors’ recognition of tho fact that “Tho sense of fun never sets on tho British Empire.” For twenty-five years, he said, Bovril

had not only catered to tho British appetite for beef, but had been almost an almanack of British humour, and he instanced somo of our recent slogans, including “Drink Bovril—once it’s in you it’s sinew,” and tho Mr. Bovril and Mrs. Bovril series. The number of political and other cartoons which had been based upon Bovril advertisements showed how strongly Bovril advertising had impressed itself upon the National consciousness, he might even say Empire consciousness, for cartoonists throughout the Dominions had also drawn upon tho same source of inspiration.

Better Times oonung,

Sir James Crichtou-Brownc said: It was perhaps hazardous to indulge in prophecy, but he ventured to predict that better and brighter days were m store. Streaks of dawn, were apparent, but it had to be borne in mind that when prosperity returned there would bo national stamina to be made good. Tho strain had taken toll of every class and section of tho community, and chore would be an aftermath of debility and nervous exhaustion to contend with. He had no doubt the body-building and body repairing and sustaining powers of Bovril would play a useful part.

First Principles in uiMctics.

Referring to Lord Playfair, the first chairman of the Bovril Company, and one of the highest authorities on the chemistry of foods, Sir James said we wero perhaps just a little forgetful of tho great fundamental principles of dietetics laid down in his time. All attention was concentrated at present on tho vitamins and hormones. The discovery of theso was a momentous advance, but there was in some quarters a tendency to magnify their role. "With all their virtues, they were not toods, and though you might be supplied with a pound of them daily, you would perish miserably by starvation. AVe must go back to the fundamental and

essential elements of food, tho proteins, the carbohydrates, tho fats and the mineral constituents, and if we partook of them in sufficient variety wo could safely leave the vitamins and hormones to look after themselves.