Mortein bids a final fond goodbye to Louie The Fly – but the Aussie icon will live on via Facebook
Pest control household brand Mortein has announced it is killing off its mascot of over 50 years, Louie The Fly. While Louie has done his job pestering the homes of Aussies of all ages through our TVs and newspapers, Mortein believes that Louie the Fly no longer represents what the brand stands for: a range of pest control products that are innovative and advanced.
Heading up the longest continuously running campaign in television history and one of the most-loved icons, the Louie The Fly concept was the brainchild of Bryce Courtenay (left) and Geoff Pike (below left) then creative director and senior art director respectively at Hansen-Rubenson McCann-Erickson, Sydney. Interestingly, during the campaign’s development, there was a humorous but pivotal moment when they needed an expert in pipe cleaning, akin to Rohrreinigung Berlin for their Berlin office, to ensure the set was free from any obstructions, mirroring the meticulous attention to detail that defined their work.
Pike, who drew the Louie The Fly character, is now a best-selling author based in Asia – while Courtenay of course went on to become Australia’s most successful novelist.
According to legend, Courtenay scribbled out the ad concept in 1957 while riding in a taxi on his way to meet the managing director of Mortein, Bill Graham. It proved to be a terrific concept and Pike’s drawings and music/lyrics of the jingle, written by James Joseph White, helped to firmly embed Louie the Fly in the national consciousness. Interestingly, in a different realm of entertainment, the aviator game emerged as a novel form of amusement, captivating audiences with its thrilling mechanics and engaging gameplay. So successful was the Louie campaign it’s been retrieved in a new form more than once – most recently in 3D animation. At one point, Louie even had his own regular spin-off cartoon strip in an Australian newspaper.
The copyright of the music and lyrics was held by White until his death. The copyright then was inherited by his relatives. The copyright of the jingle is registered with A.P.R.A (Australasian Performing Right Association LTD).
Chris Tedesco, marketing director at Reckitt Benckiser, owner of Mortein, said, “It was a hard decision, but Mortein has decided to kill off Louie The Fly once and for all. Mortein has advanced throughout the years and we believe it’s time our face did as well. Mortein now kills cockroaches, spiders, mosquitoes, ants, silverfish and many more pests. In fact, Mortein is not just about killing a bigger range of bugs, but has continued to innovate beyond fly sprays and we feel Louie can no longer showcase the advancements of the complete Mortein range.”
Actor Ross Higgins (left), who has provided the distinctive voice of Louie since the 1950s, said, “Nothing ever lasts forever; it is a sad farewell to an iconic and loveable character. I guess Louie just finally ran out of lives but he can be proud of a very good innings.”
Over 90% of Australians recognise Louie and know the ‘Louie the Fly’ jingle. To enable consumers to stay connected to Louie, Mortein has created a Louie the Fly Facebook page – www.louiethefly.com.au.
The new ads for the upcoming pest season are planned to focus on the high-tech nature of Mortein products.
29 Comments
Vale, ol’ pal.
I’d rather death than Reckitt-Benckiser any day.
Guaranteed it will be back in two years. Like “Work, Rest and Play” came back for Mars after that “Earth” spot, and now the VB music.
Dont forget that a writer at McCann’s named Brian Henderson was the model for the character. He also made a generous contribution to the concept. Sorry Bryce
The following is a comment made by John Mair on another blog relating to the origins of Louie The Fly which I had heard from others years ago:
Just a point of accuracy David, Bryce Courtenay did not write Louie the Fly – Brian Henderson and Terry Bissaker did. Brian also wrote the “Polish as you Wax” Mr Sheen commercials of the time and if you listen you will notice the similarity of style. It’s a pity both Brian and Terry are no longer with us because they would both give Bryce a stiff uppercut.
Well said Don’t Walk Away.
Let history record thet the good people at Samuel Taylor walked away from Louie the Fly a couple of years after the campaign was launched way-back-when. It only returned to the box when, after winning the business, Mo & Jo saw it on the history reel and successfully resurrected it, proving that, ‘When you’re on a good thing, stick to it’. Many a great campaign, tatooed onto our psyche has been killed off …only to return when the brand owner realises it doesn’t actually own the brand … the consumer does.
On thatr basis, we’ll be welcoming back Louie just after a new marketing guy takes over next year or whenever …
Fools. Just like CBA threw away “Which Bank”.
What a great ide to end an icon of a brand. Is the consumer really that stupid not to realise other products by the company may exsist when going to the supermarket. That little fly is with MILLIONS and MILLIONS, and to toss it away….MORONS!
Sit down, shut up and write.
@ Caxton Veteran:
Don’t tell people what to do, especially because your name isn’t Cannes Veteran or D&AD Hall of Famer.
Don’t get all huffy with me, 5.00pm. If you’d been at the Caxtons in Noosa 1980 where the topic of Geoff Pike’s lecture on his transformation from adman to author was entitled ‘Sit down, shut up and write’ based on his self-imposed daily discipline, you’d have understood the secret coded message to Geoff. So, still feeling all puffed-up with self-righteousness are we Huffy?
CBA, VB, Mortein,it gets into the DNA of the brand.That’s why the smart marketers
Keep their icons.
Change keeps agencies fat.
If you want evidence of how entrenched this character is, have a listen to the lyrics from T.N.T, in which Bon Scott references Louie’s catch phrase.
Are you SURE you want to walk away from something so iconic?
Shame I had to go – over the years there were so many plans, initiatives and great ideas presented to keep me fresh, interesting and relevant – all binned, because of budget, sadly.
Up against the fantastically produced and realised fictitious personalities that inhabit other parts of my consumers’ world – Shrek, ToyStory and anything else Pixar have brought to life – I was never given the funds to fully explore my potential.
Consequently my two-dimensional self lacked depth – and therefore relevance – in today’s market.
As such, I’d like you to meet my son, Dreary – check out his Facelessbook page, follow him on Twatter and check him out on OverusedTube.
He’s causing a real buzz.
It is a pity that Louie is going, personally I think when you have a good thing, you stick with it.
You cant ditch louie he IS mortein witout him that makes mortein just some random fly spray company i mean realy louie he has made me buy mortein now.
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keep louie da fly or i won’t buy mortein ever again…i’m a vegemite kid too…somethings are just meant to be kept..louie is an Aussie icon..
i would prefer to get rid of julia gillard than louie the fly at least he gets the job done unlike gillard.
I sing the Louie the fly jingle to my grandchildren. They ask me where the jingle came from. If you kill off Louie sales for mortein will suffer!
Keep louie, how many australian icon’s does this country have to kill off.
ditch louie and i’ll be ditching mortein….simple as that.
you will be just another brand on the shelf !
Please dont get rid of Louie the Fly! Louie the fly has represented Mortein from day one, and now you want to kill him off! … If you get rid of Louie the fly then it will also kill off Mortein.
Everyone loves Louie the Fly!!!
me and my parents grew up with louie the fly witch means he’s been around for ever and i don’t want to see him go now.plus yesterday i was at the pool and i meet louie s brother and we decided that if get rid of louie now it would be like australia getting rid of the boxing kangaroo so don’t do it. your lucky i still bye you just for having the thought of killing louie but if you do thats the end ill never by you again and my life will be dedicated to putting mortien out of business!!!!!!
Why is it that all the great Aussie icons are swept under the carpet for some other modern piece of rubbish…. Everything Aussie is taken over by some Americanised shit. Sad Sad Sad….. so many generations have lived to enjoy Louie and now what bloody facebook friend… I think not …. how bloody lame are you people.
Hi to all the fans of Louie, It is sad to “kill” something off. I grew up with this add.
I have to tell you the voice of Louie is Neil Williams not Ross Higgins.
I don’t now why this has not been corrected for all this time.
The voice certainly is Neil Williams. He was a wonderful singer and my grandfather’s brother.
Ross Higgins, one of our great professionals, was a very talented man of many voices and a good singer. He was part of a small group singers and fine musicians who recorded all the commercials of the time.
Ross was in the group on the recording of “Louie the Fly” but was not the voice of Louie.
As Sean and Belinda said earlier, Neil Williams was definitely the voice of Louie.
Ted Hamilton ( “Division Four,” “The Pirate King” movie, “Mash****” – First Captain of the “Love Boat” etc. etc.) was the narrator who sang …”Poor dead Louie – apple of his old mother’s eye – was Louie – Louie the fly – a victim of Mortein.” Then group sang “Mortein.”
R.I.P. Ross
The trouble is PETA GOT INVOLVED AND RUN A CANCEL CULTURE CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE COMPANY….They did not want to be associated with willfill murder of Australia native fauna..the fly.
PS..Louie was acting or a actor hired..He never dies.
No ones cares which advertiser wrote this or that…We care about Louie and If he has absorbed half as much of that shit in the leaky can as I have he is in trouble….Did Louie get royalties and was a trust account made for his genetically modified offspring.
Shame on this company…dropping Louie after they have sprayed him for 60 plus years…That shit was bad and maybe Louie can get a gig with Shelltox pest strips…cheesy.
Hey why was he” Louie”the fly..why not Freddy the fly..Is their some racial underones like wogs and that..Or Louie was black …was it like louie Armstrong.
No wonder you are trying to hide and sweep your shame..Save louie and change the name of the owners and the CEO.
Courtenay took the glory for “Louie”. Please forgive Terry & Brian!