The polo neck-wearing Milk Tray man is to return to TV after a 13-year absence as Cadbury launches a search for his successor.
The black-clad hero, who first appeared in 1968, was famous for embarking on daring James Bond-style missions to deliver a box of chocolates to the lady he loves.
Cadbury has signed up actor James Coombes, who played the role in 1987, to kick off the hunt for a more thoughtful new-age Milk Tray man.
“The key point is the new Milk Tray man won’t be chosen just for his derring-do, diving off cliffs into shark-infested waters,” said Tony Bilsborough, spokesman for Cadbury. “It will be as much about traits such as thoughtfulness. Leaping off a bridge on to a moving train is not as relevant as it was perhaps in the 1960s, there has to be a little more to gift giving.”
The TV campaign, which runs with the original slogan “And all because the lady loves Milk Tray”, breaks during ITV’s The Chase on Friday night.
The ad, set in a secret spy headquarters, features Coombes explaining to viewers the traditional all-action “man in black” version of the Milk Tray man.
Coombes then calls for candidates to apply to appear as the new Milk Tray man in an ad campaign later this year, before he leaps out of a window leaving the office clear for his successor.
“I loved this role the first time around and nothing has changed since, so I’m sure whoever gets to fill my shoes will be just as delighted,” said Coombes. “We’re on the search for a modern Milk Tray man, someone who is thoughtful yet adventurous and I’m really looking forward to seeing who it will be.”
There has been a suggestion that the new Milk Tray star could be a woman, although Cadbury indicated that this is a longshot.
“What we’ve said is essentially Milk Tray is a brand which is a gift to women,” said Bilsborough. “The invitation to be the new Milk Tray star is open to all. We are not ruling anyone out. But at same time, you have to remember it is traditionally a gift for a woman. We are deliberately keeping our options open.”
The Milk Tray ad campaign – there have been 23 in the series to date – became so popular in the 1970s that games maker Waddingtons brought out the Man in Black game, where players could become the action hero battling opponents and obstacles to deliver the chocolates safely.
This year marks the centenary of the Milk Tray brand.
