Actor behind JR Hartley dies aged 95



LONDON - Norman Lumsden, the actor who brought adland icon JR Hartley to life in the Yellow Pages commercials, has died aged 95.

Lumsden won fame as the star of the 1983 Yellow Pages advertisement, where he phoned second-hand bookshops to find a copy of the book Fly Fishing by JR Hartley. At the end of the ad, he reveals his identity -- JR Hartley.

The ad was the first created for Yellow Pages by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, which still holds the account today. David Abbott, the copywriter and recently retired chairman of AMV, created the ad himself.

It was such a success that eight years after the ad was launched, a book called Fly Fishing by JR Hartley was published. It became a Christmas bestseller. In a poll of the nation's favourite TV ads run by Channel 4 last year, the JR Hartley ad came in at number 13.

Lumsden died in hospital on Wednesday. As well as appearing in the Yellow Pages ad, he had careers as a commercial artist and an opera singer.

brand republic

Sad news indeed.

Will have to get the Yellow pages out.

Hmm

Awww no more j.r hartley. Rip