Reliving the ’80s magic: A rare Thums-Up flicker book featuring Kapil Dev makes Twitter nostalgic
Social media users fondly recalled cricket stickers and other collectables from the era.
Mom found this thumbs up flicker book ...archive from collection pic.twitter.com/roJ9Jy92HV
— Boomzie (@boomzy1231) July 24, 2019
The video of a yellowed, slightly torn Thums-Up flicker book from the 1980s, featuring the legendary fast-bowler Kapil Dev is bringing back fond memories on Twitter. The palm-sized book features one of India’s best all-rounders bowling on one side and drinking from a Thums-Up bottle on the other.
Launched in 1977 – in the pre-liberalisation era, without competition from Pepsi or Coca-Cola – Thums-Up had a near-monopoly in the ’80s. It was also a major advertiser throughout the decade. The cola brand circulated flipbooks and cricket cards, which continue to be prized collections even now.
A television ad campaign launched by Thums-Up was one of the first to feature Indian cricketers.
The advertisement, writes Gaurav Bhatt in the Hindustan Times: “opens with a Mexican standoff straight out of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Only in place of Blondie, Angel Eyes and Tuco, we have Sunil Gavaskar, Sandeep Patil and Ravi Shastri. And instead of Colt Navies and the Remington, they are brandishing a cricket ball, a bottle of cola and a bottle opener...The idea is simple – the need to get a sip of that cold soda in the sultry afternoon. The execution isn’t...The trio breaks into an impromptu game of hot potato for a few surreal seconds instead of handing the bottle with the opener to one person in a gentlemanly fashion. Gavaskar finally manages to procure both and quickly lets it flow to restore all order.”
Apart from Kapil Dev Thums-Up flipbooks also featured Sunil Gavaskar.
Nostalgic Twitter uses shared memories on the thread, which might as well have been a time machine.
Oh how I had struggled to get this booklet!!!
— Harneet S Chugh (@hschugh) July 25, 2019
My favourite cricketer till date!
I remember a time when we invited him for an innaugurtion. He asked that his fee be paid to a renowned charity and that we just send him the receipt with the event date and time. A gem of a person.
They had 3 of these. One Batsman also.
— LuciferMorningStar (@SathayePP) July 25, 2019
There was one #SandeepPatil one too! In one of those growing up cleaning spree, it got thrown, now one feels nostalgic! #ThumsUp
— Parijat Punj (@parijatpunj) July 26, 2019
I had the Richard’s short arm pull...thanks for bringing back the memories. Mine got washed away in one of the many floods my home experienced.
— Rahul (@rcj1978) July 25, 2019
OMG! That just brought over a wave of nostalgia. We didn't drink much Cola, but I remember this chewing gum or sweet called Cricket that had parts of a photo. Stick and complete a photo to get a reward. Grand prize was a bat.
— Deepak D'Souza (@DDSez) July 25, 2019
😮 I was looking for it forever. Just the other day I was mentioning this flip book to a friend n also how in the mid 80s at the back of soft drinks' bottles' metal caps like Goldspot,Limca, Thumbsup there used to be rubber peelable cartoon Micky, Donald 🐤https://t.co/2KfI6f6VMf
— his2annas (@his2annas) July 26, 2019
