P&O SEAFARER (run away to sea) - a vintage child's souvenir/merchandise badge (1960s - 1980s)

Postage is extra.

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For sale is a vintage souvenir/merchandise child’s badge issued by P&O (Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company). The badge’s design is in the form of a ship’s wheel and shows a P&O officer with a young child facing each other. The text reads RUN AWAY TO SEA – P&O – SEAFARER. This badge would have been a tie-in with P&O’s ‘run away to sea’ advertising campaign originally created in 1958 by the Ogilvy advertising agency of New York.

The image of the P&O Officer with child is based on one of the iconic advertising posters of the ‘runaway to sea’ campaign first launched in 1958. This campaign was so successful it was re-run in 1966 after the P&O and Orient Line was rebranded as P&O.

The officer standing with hands behind his back was Orient Line’s First Officer, Roy Cookman and the four-year old boy was Anthony Ashbolt (1954-2021). Photography by photojournalist Thomas Hollyman who by 1958 was already an acomplished holiday and travel photographer. The scene was shot on board the Orient's ocean liner Orsova (1954) as it sailed from Sydney to San Francisco.

P&O (The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company) origins go back to the early 19th century. In 1960, P&O and Orient Line were formally merged to form the P&O-Orient Lines. The name Orient Line was dropped altogether in 1966 when Orsova and Oriana were also transferred to the P&O fleet.

https://poheritage.com/story/run-away-to-sea-the-story-of-an-ad-campaign/ (About the original ‘run away to sea’ advertising campaign of 1958).

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https://poheritage.com/collections/0e818376-12d5-36a3-b3fc-746511ff2f5e/ (Ocean-liner Orsova 1954).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%26O (P&O lines).

https://poheritage.com/resource/po-steam-navigation-company/ (History of P&O).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogilvy_(agency ) (Ogilvy advertising agency 1948 to-date).

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DESCRIPTION:
Size: about 11/16" x ¾” (18mm x 20mm).
Material(s): diecast metal alloy with 1 enamel paint.
Finish: gilt.
Fitting: rollbar pin.
Imprint: none.
Approximate age: late 1960s (post-1966) to 1980s.

CONDITION:
Good condition overall. No damage. Pin in working order. Wear to gilt plating on front side, commensurate with age and use.
Please see photograph(s), these form part of the description.

POSTAGE:
* Postal costs are extra, additional to the Asking Price
* I always get a proof-of-posting certificate.
* I combine postal costs for multiple items when these are paid for and posted the same time.

RETURNS:
* Return accepted if the item(s) is returned in same condition it left me, then the full Agreed Asking Price will be refunded. Postal costs are not refundable.
* Buyer pays the return postal costs - unless agreed otherwise.

B.18