The Persil "Oh Mum!" advert showed a teenage boy struggling to do the family washing while calling out for his mother. It was light-hearted, clumsy, and instantly recognisable to viewers in Britain during the late 70s and early 80s. The ad became a small but memorable piece of domestic television history. The boy in the advert was not a trained actor but a young drama student who had never appeared on screen before. His awkwardness was genuine, and it gave the advert its charm. The line “Oh Mum!