Shopping without cash in 1966

Issue 281 | 3 March 2022

In this edition of Payments:Unpacked Payments Past we feature a “strange first” in British bank advertising history.

Here’s how the Martins Bank Archive describes the advert for Barclaycard which helps you buy “almost anything”:

This advert represents a strange "first" in British bank advertising history - although desperate to express their individuality and advertise on TV, British banks were tied by a gentleman's agreement to only issue bland joint statements on policy.

In 1966 Barclays were able to break the agreement in a rather ingenious way. They advertised BARCLAYCARD, a subsidiary company product, in Scotland, for customers of the British Linen Bank, another Barclays subsidiary company!

Thanks to our friends at Barclays Group Archives, and Lloyds Banking Group Archives, we are pleased to present the British Linen Bank Barclaycard Advert, not seen for decades.

This version was recovered from videotape and digitised by hammycheez productions for Martins Bank Archive (all Copyright Holders acknowledged).

---

Help grow Payments:Unpacked’s audience

If you enjoy reading Payments:Unpacked please share the word with your friends and colleagues - sharing the newsletter makes such a difference to growing the newsletters audience.

Or subscribe: