Some twenty years ago Pro Hart used his remarkable artistic talent to demonstrate the amazing stain resistant properties of STAINMASTER® carpet. Pro’s spaghetti sliding, cake squashing antics were a runaway success with Australian audiences. Even today, the famous “Dragonfly” commercial is still remembered and loved by many Australians.
Sadly Pro passed away in 2006. It was a great loss for Australian art. But fortunately the artistic gene seems to have been passed on in the Hart family. In fact, it appears to have been passed on from the father to son and from son to grandson. That’s not to say that the Hart women missed out, they too exhibit a distinctly artistic flair. But after meetings with the Hart family in Broken Hill and Queensland, it was ultimately Pro’s 9 year old grandson Harry that was chosen to carry on his grandfather’s work with STAINMASTER® carpet.
Twenty plus years on STAINMASTER® carpet has advanced to impressive new heights. Harry’s task was to help launch the latest in STAINMASTER® carpet by highlighting not just the amazing look and feel of STAINMASTER® XTRA LIFE™ carpet, but its incredible 15 year stain resistance limited warranty*. It was a task Harry literally threw himself into.
Like his grandfather before him, Harry Hart enjoyed using unusual and innovative techniques to create his own “Dragonfly” masterpiece from food, drink and sauces. In the latest commercial Harry can be seen boogie boarding across spaghetti and using toys including a water pistol, a pair of jumping boots and a remote controlled car to apply the brushstrokes to his canvas. Naturally Harry’s “canvas” was selected from one of the recently released ranges of STAINMASTER® XTRA LIFE™ carpet. With a whole new palate of stylish colours, textures and patterns to choose from, Harry and the advertising team were really spoilt for choice. From classic styles and colour ways to contemporary/modern styles with vivid, bright, fashionable colour, the latest STAINMASTER® XTRA LIFE™ carpet ranges really do offer something for just about everyone. In the end a colour and pattern that would let Harry’s masterpiece stand out were chosen.
As Harry dropped food, squirted drink and boogie boarded across spaghetti to create his masterpiece, his father David Hart, a highly successful painter in his own right, watched proudly from the sidelines. Harry’s mum Christine, however, got far more involved by taking on a role in the commercial.
As millions of Australians will remember, the original STAINMASTER® carpet commercial featured a cleaning lady. The new commercial, however, brings things closer to home by having Harry’s mum discover his “dragonfly” masterpiece on the carpet. As a proud mum, Christine has no trouble admiring her son’s handiwork. Thanks to STAINMASTER® XTRA LIFE™ carpet, she also has no trouble cleaning off Harry’s masterpiece and restoring the carpet to its original, pristine condition. But perhaps the moment that makes Christine’s performance is when she takes a break from cleaning the carpet and mutters under her breath “Oh you’re too much like your grandfather”.
Whilst Pro may be gone, it’s nice to know that his spirit lives on. It’s also nice to see the spirit of the original STAINMASTER® carpet commercial so alive and well in the new version. As a man who loved his family, innovative art and STAINMASTER® carpet, we think Pro would be pleased.
