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By Ken Smith
Do you remember the Heinz Big Red Tomato Soup advertisements that appeared on our television screens in the 1990s? The cosy winter scenes, the familiar catchphrase — “Well done, Mr Heinz. Well done.” But did you know that one of those advertisements was filmed right here in Manningham?
At a recent function held at Schramm’s Cottage to mark 50 years since the historic building was relocated to its present site in Doncaster East, long-time Doncaster Templestowe Historical Society member Ken Smith shared this memorable story from 1992.
On 15 and 16 April that year, the quiet surrounds of Schramm’s Cottage became the setting for a television commercial for Heinz Big Red Tomato Soup. For two days, the much-loved local landmark was transformed into a film set.
At the time, English actress Penelope Keith was a familiar and popular figure with Australian television audiences. She had been engaged to appear in a series of advertisements for soups produced by the H.J. Heinz Company, including their new variety, Heinz Big Red. The campaign featured the catchphrase, “Well done, Mr Heinz. Well done.”
For the shoot, the interior of the Cottage’s old schoolroom was temporarily reimagined. Painted a rich claret red and styled as the dining room of a cosy country home, it provided the perfect backdrop for a winter’s evening scene. In the advertisement, Penelope Keith played the mother of several children who had rushed home from school on a wet and stormy night.
A steaming bowl of Heinz Big Red tomato soup was just the thing to warm them, set against the inviting atmosphere of the Cottage.
In the closing moment, a precocious girl of about ten finished her soup and observed, “Mr Heinz has done very well, hasn’t he?” After a brief pause, Penelope Keith replied with a smile, “Indeed he has.”
It is a small but delightful chapter in the Cottage’s long history. It’s a reminder that the places we take for granted as part of our everyday surroundings can have surprisingly interesting stories to tell.
