Captain Demoted From Birdseye TV Ads

Frozen food favourite Captain Birdseye is being demoted after 47 years as the public face of fish fi…

Frozen food favourite Captain Birdseye is being demoted after 47 years as the public face of fish fingers in a £16 million shake-up of the brand.

A photogenic TV family will instead be put at the forefront of efforts to appeal to the digital generation.

The new campaign, which launched this week, has been dubbed The Food of Life and will use Twitter and Facebook alongside traditional television ads to extend the appeal of the cod snacks.

Five new commercials will be screened over the next four months from fish fingers and peas to Birds Eye’s posh Baked to Perfection brand.

The seafaring captain was played by several actors since he set sail on our screens in 1967, with the catchphrase: “Only the best for the Captain’s table.”

The first, and most famous, skipper was John Hewer who played the role until 1998. He died ten years later.

But Birds Eye owner Iglo Group UK insist that the seafarer is not being frozen out and will continue to promote fish fingers to the public.