TC, the cartoon alley cat, comes out of retirement with Benny the Ball and Officer Dibble in bank’s latest TV ad campaign

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Street-wise feline and cartoon favourite Top Cat is to make a return to TV starring in an ad campaign for Halifax.

Hanna-Barbera’s TC, as his close friends called him, right-hand man Benny the Ball and erstwhile adversary Officer Dibble will return in Halifax’s new TV campaign due to launch during Channel 4’s Gogglebox on Friday night.

In a nod to the roots of Top Cat, who lived with a gang of cats in an alleyway in Manhattan, Halifax has commissioned a mural to be painted on a wall in London’s suburb of Clerkenwell.

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“No other bank could run this new campaign,” said Catherine Kehoe, managing director of group brands and marketing at Halifax. “It reflects perfectly our personality and is a real celebration of how our friendly and down-to-earth colleagues support everyone.”

The ad campaign was created by agency adam&eveDDB, best-known for its work on a string of high profile ad campaigns for John Lewis, and special effects outfit The Mill.

Top Cat, at one time called Boss Cat in the UK to avoid confusion with a cat food brand, debuted on TV in 1962 in a 30-episode run.

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He remained a firm favourite in repeats, as well as cameos in a number of shows, but a move to the big screen in 2012 was panned by critics.