UK Startup Marketing Lessons from TV’s First Ad

In 1955, Britain’s first TV advert didn’t arrive with a manifesto. It arrived with a toothbrush and toothpaste trapped in a block of ice, and a simple line about being “as fresh as ice”. Brian Palmer—who wrote that spot for Gibbs SR toothpaste—has just died aged 96, and his story is a useful reminder of something most startups forget.

Marketing doesn’t need more channels. It needs more clarity.

That’s especially true for UK startups trying to grow while also meeting customer expectations around sustainability, credible net-zero plans, and low-carbon choices. If you’re building a company in 2026, you’re not just competing on product—you’re competing on trust, proof, and story. Palmer’s career spans the birth of commercial television, the rise of modern agencies, and early arguments about how agencies should be paid. Underneath the history is a playbook that still works.

Brian Palmer’s real legacy: make the new medium feel human

Answer first: Palmer’s breakthrough wasn’t “being first”. It was making a brand message feel understandable in a living room—and that’s the same job startups have across TikTok, podcasts, CTV, newsletters, and founder-led LinkedIn.

Palmer wrote the first commercial to air on British television when ITV debuted in 1955. He later said he loved the combination of words, sound, and vision—and the fact you could “talk to people in their own homes”. That line matters for founders because your audience still experiences marketing at home: scrolling on the sofa, watching streaming TV, checking email on the train.

The modern translation for startups

If you’re selling a climate, energy, or sustainability product—EV charging, heat pumps, carbon accounting, circular supply chain tools—your audience isn’t waiting for jargon. They want a clear mental picture.

Use this test:

• Can someone describe your product in one sentence without copying your website?
• Does your core claim create an image in the mind? (“as fresh as ice” does.)
• Can you demonstrate it in 5–10 seconds? If not, your messaging is doing too much.

For net-zero transition businesses, the “image” often comes from measurable outcomes (kWh saved, emissions reduced, waste diverted) rather than abstract purpose statements.

The myth startups cling to: “performance marketing will do the storytelling”

Answer first: Performance channels don’t create demand; they harvest it. Palmer’s era proves that new media only becomes powerful when creative explains why anyone should care.

A lot of UK startups default to paid social and search because it’s trackable. That’s sensible. It’s also limiting.

The first TV advert worked because it introduced a new medium with a simple, sensory proposition. The same principle applies now with connected TV, creator partnerships, and founder media.

What to do in Q1 2026 (when budgets are tight)

January is when teams re-forecast, customers reset priorities, and procurement asks for “value”. Instead of spreading spend thinly, build one strong narrative asset you can repurpose everywhere:

1. One proof-led hero story (a customer result, pilot outcome, or before/after transformation)
2. One visual demo (screen recording, short video, animation, or product walkthrough)
3. One plain-English claim tied to a metric (time saved, cost reduced, CO₂ cut)

Then distribute it across:

• paid search (capture),
• LinkedIn (consideration),
• email (conversion),
• partnerships/events (trust),
• PR (authority).

A good rule: creative earns attention; performance buys efficiency. Don’t ask one to do the other’s job.

Palmer co-founded a “pioneering” agency—here’s the part founders should steal

Answer first: Palmer’s agency KMP pushed for fee-based remuneration and set up an independent media department. That’s basically the 2026 startup operating model: separate strategy, creative, and distribution, then hold each accountable.

In the 1960s, Kingsley, Manton and Palmer (KMP) built a reputation for doing things differently—advocating fees instead of relying on commission, and treating media planning/buying as a discipline worth separating.

For startups, the equivalent is separating four jobs that often get mashed together:

• Positioning (strategy): who it’s for, what pain it solves, why you’re credible
• Narrative (creative): the story, examples, language, and visuals
• Distribution (media/growth): where it shows up and how often
• Measurement (analytics): what success means and how you know

A simple org design that works at 5–50 people

You don’t need a big team. You need clear ownership.

• One person owns messaging (even part-time—often the founder or PMM)
• One person owns demand capture (search, retargeting, conversion rate)
• One person owns trust-building (case studies, partnerships, PR, community)

If one person owns everything, you’ll optimise what’s easiest to measure (clicks) and underinvest in what drives long-term growth (credibility).

Climate change marketing in the UK: why “trust” is the KPI that matters

Answer first: In sustainability and net-zero transition markets, trust beats hype because buyers are actively filtering out greenwashing.

The UK market is saturated with climate claims. That’s good—more companies are trying. It also means buyers are sceptical.

So the marketing lesson from early TV advertising isn’t “be loud”. It’s “be legible”. Palmer’s ice-and-toothpaste concept was a demonstration. For climate and net-zero messaging, demonstration looks like:

• an audited methodology,
• a transparent baseline,
• a clear boundary (Scope 1/2/3 where relevant),
• and a result that can be checked.

The “Proof Stack” for net-zero transition startups

Build a proof stack you can reuse in sales, marketing, and partnerships:

1. A numeric claim: “Reduced energy use by 18% in 90 days” (use your real number)
2. A mechanism: how you achieved it (control logic, supply chain change, behaviour shift)
3. A constraint: where it doesn’t work (build credibility by being specific)
4. A third-party signal: pilot partner logo, certification, grant, or independent review

One-line stance I’ve found to be true: If you can’t explain your sustainability impact without adjectives, you don’t have a message yet.

From the first TV commercial to 2026: the channel changed, the brief didn’t

Answer first: The job of marketing is still to translate value into a story people can repeat—then distribute it with discipline.

Palmer later held senior roles at Young & Rubicam and Doyle Dane Bernbach, then returned to lead DDB in the UK. He was described as curious, optimistic, and generous with time—traits that matter in startup marketing because the work is iterative. You make a claim, test it, tighten it, then test again.

“People also ask” (and the answers founders need)

How do I market a climate startup without sounding corporate?
Write like a person who’s accountable. Use numbers, trade-offs, and real examples. Avoid vague “mission-first” claims unless they’re supported by proof.

Should UK startups invest in brand early?
Yes, if you define “brand” as clarity + consistency. No, if you define it as expensive campaigns before product-market fit.

What’s the quickest way to improve messaging?
Record five sales calls, write down the phrases customers use, and rebuild your homepage using their words—not yours.

A practical 30-day plan: apply Palmer’s principles to your startup

Answer first: Pick one message, one demo, and one distribution loop—and run it for 30 days without constant reinvention.

Here’s a plan that works whether you’re selling to consumers, SMEs, or enterprise.

Week 1: Write the “first advert” version of your pitch

• One sentence: “We help [who] achieve [outcome] by [mechanism].”
• One proof point: a metric, a customer quote with numbers, or a benchmark
• One visual: screenshot, chart, short clip, or physical demonstration

Week 2: Turn it into three assets

• Landing page (conversion)
• 60–90 second video (attention)
• Case study one-pager (trust)

Week 3: Distribute like it’s your job (because it is)

• 3 LinkedIn posts from founder + team
• 1 partner newsletter mention
• 1 webinar or live demo
• Retargeting ads to anyone who watched 50%+ of the video

Week 4: Measure what matters

Track:

• demo requests / trial starts,
• sales-qualified conversations,
• cost per qualified lead,
• and close rate by message variant.

If you’re in the net-zero transition space, also track time-to-trust signals: how quickly prospects ask about methodology, boundaries, and verification. That tells you where your proof stack is weak.

Where this fits in the Climate Change & Net Zero Transition series

Brian Palmer’s story isn’t just advertising nostalgia. It’s a reminder that big transitions—like decarbonising homes, electrifying transport, and building green jobs—depend on public understanding. The net-zero transition isn’t blocked by a lack of solutions; it’s blocked by confusion, mistrust, and poor communication.

If you’re building in this space, take a clear stance: your marketing should make sustainable choices easier to understand and easier to buy. Palmer helped Britain learn a new medium. UK climate startups now have to help Britain adopt new systems.

What would happen if your next campaign aimed for one thing only: making your impact so clear that a customer can explain it to someone else in ten seconds?