World's oldest model village allows first major brand takeover ahead of centenary
Bekonscot Model Village and Railway has introduced miniature adverts for a food brand in a rare break from tradition, helping raise funds for maintenance and charitable work as it approaches its 100th anniversary.
The world's oldest model village has secured extra funding ahead of its 100th anniversary - by advertising a food brand. Bekonscot Model Village and Railway in Beaconsfield, which is putting the money towards upkeep and ongoing charitable work, opened in 1929 and has largely avoided advertising during that time.
The 1.5-acre miniature attraction, known for preserving a snapshot of 1930s Britain, was brought into the modern day with signs promoting itsu Jumbo Spring Rolls. Advertising appeared across the attraction’s model towns, with miniature posters, railway signs, shopfront branding and even a banner trailing behind a plane.
To complete the transformation, internet sensation and unofficial brand ambassador, the Wealdstone Raider, real name Gordon Hill, 60, was recreated in miniature and placed beside the model football pitch. It took more than four hours of painstaking work to install the adverts. Each was carefully attached to avoid damaging the attraction’s near-100-year-old buildings and scenery.
A spokesperson for Asian-inspired food brand itsu said: “People love small things, whether it’s miniature houses, tiny trains or entire towns built on a smaller scale.
“So, when we were challenged to go big for the launch of our Jumbo Spring Rolls, we decided making everything around them smaller was the perfect answer.
“We were told to take over a town, but nobody specified how big the town had to be.
“Bekonscot gave us everything you would expect from a town takeover, from a high street and cinema to a railway station and football pitch, only on a much smaller scale.”
Among the additions was a 29.5cm by 19.5cm poster on the front of the model Granodeon cinema, accompanied by two smaller framed adverts outside its entrance. The village railway station was also updated with two miniature poster boards and a 14.5cm by 9cm panel alongside its footbridge. A 50cm banner was also attached behind a model plane, and a 222cm-long advertising run was created around the football pitch.
Set against Bekonscot’s miniature houses, shops and streets, the campaign made the new Jumbo Spring Rolls appear oversized within the landscape. The takeover tapped into Britain’s enduring fascination with miniature attractions, with model village content generating more than 1.3 billion views on social media in the year to date.
itsu Jumbo Spring Rolls are available in duck, chicken and vegetarian from supermarkets nationwide.
A spokesperson for Beckonscot Model Village and Railway added: “As we approach our centenary, we're investing in the future of the site, with plans to restore some of our historic displays and introduce new features for visitors to enjoy.
“itsu's playful use of scale felt like a natural fit with the miniature world that generations of visitors have enjoyed since 1929."