A more than six-decade old advert has taken top spot in a national survey looking to identify Australia’s most iconic childhood advertisements.

The survey, released by advertising consultancy Cubery, settled on 12 adverts from very different eras.

Vegemite’s “Happy Little Vegemites” from 1954 took top spot and was noted for being particularly memorable for baby boomers and gen X.

In second place, and most beloved by generation Z, was the Reading and Writing Hotline campaign – with its 1300 655 506 jingle, followed by the millennials’ favourite, the Yellow Pages’ “Not Happy Jan” campaign from 2000.

Matt Gray, general manager of brand and innovation at Vegemite owner, Bega Group, said the iconic spread was Australia’s  “not-so-secret weapon”.

“Thanks to the legends who voted for Happy Little Vegemites,” he said.

The survey included responses from about 1000 Australians aged 18 and over, and aimed to discover which ads were most vividly remembered from respondent’s childhoods.

“Some ads fade the moment they go off air. But for others, sometimes decades later, they’re still being quoted around the barbecue or have elements that just won’t escape our heads,” Cubery’s Wil Logan said.

While baby boomers and gen X both nominated Vegemite as their top nostalgic advert, second and third place were a little different.

Boomers fondly remembered Mortein’s Louie The Fly at No.2, followed by Sanitarium’s “Aussie Kids Are Weet-Bix Kids”.

Second place for gen X went to “Not Happy Jan”, with Aeroplane Jelly’s “I love Aeroplane Jelly” in third.

For millennials, “Not Happy Jan” was the favourite, followed by the Reading and Writing Hotline and Cottees Cordial’s “My Dad Picks the Fruit”.

Gen Z’s top pick was the Reading and Writing Challenge, followed by Paul’s “Milk that Tastes Like Real Milk” and O’Brien’s Windscreen’s “Call O’Brien’s”.

The overall top 12 told a different story again with the addition of ads from Lube Mobile, National Tiles and the iconic Mrs Marsh Colgate commercials.

Cubery said the survey highlighted the significant role of music and jingles in making advertisements memorable.

In addition to music, Australian humour and beloved characters were identified as key elements contributing to the memorability of these ads.

“The lessons for advertisers are clear. From the ads we grew up with to today’s AI-powered spectacles, the core pillars of effective advertising haven’t changed one little bit,” Logan said.

Top 12 childhood adverts

1. Vegemite – Happy Little Vegemites
2. Reading Writing Hotline – 1300 655 506
3. Yellow Pages – Not Happy Jan
4. Aeroplane Jelly – I Like Aeroplane Jelly
5. Cottee’s – My Dad Picks The Fruit
6. Mortein – Louie The Fly
7. Weet-Bix – Aussie Kids Are Weet-Bix Kids
8. Colgate – Mrs Marsh
9. Paul’s – Milk That Tastes Like Real Milk
10. RACQ – Charter Boat
11. National Tiles – Frank Walker Here
12. Lube Mobile – That’s 13 30 32