This film is part of Free

Vinolia Soap

One of the earliest films showing off a brand: three women pack Vinolia soap into boxes

Advert 1898 1 mins Silent

Overview

This pioneering film by Charles Goodwin Norton was one of the earliest films with a branded product at its centre. Norton ran his own stationery shop in St Pancras, London, and a had a fascinating sideline in making his own films, which he had screened to the royal family at Buckingham Palace and Cowes. His films frequently feature his family and are a charming blend of pioneer filmmaking and early home movies. The identity of the girls in this film, though, is unknown. Whether the Vinolia soap company was involved in the promotion is also not clear; what is certain is that this is one of the oldest surviving examples of a British product promo.