Colour precedent

Whenever FT publishes a “TV message from the future” story [e.g. FT304:75, 306:69], I’m reminded of my very own television mystery.

Australian television in the 1960s was strictly black and white; colour was not introduced until the mid-1970s. Around 1965, I was watching daytime television on one of the three commercial stations then operating in Melbourne. A commercial came on, filling the screen with the familiar AMPOL logo. In those days, AMPOL (the Australian Motorists Petrol Company) operated service stations throughout the country. Its logo was an oval filled with three horizontal stripes – red at the top, white in the middle and blue at the bottom. The central white stripe held the name AMPOL in either red or, in this case, black.

As the commercial began, an announcer stated gravely: “This is an AMPOL Technicolor commercial!” At this point, the logo began to flicker noticeably – clearly a stroboscopic effect caused by alternating blank frames with the logo. Incredibly, this produced the illusion of not one but two distinct colours, with the AMPOL logo standing out in its usual red, white and blue. I vividly recall being not only amazed that this was possible, but also slightly disappointed that the colours were washed out and pale, with the red stripe looking pink.

It’s now about half a century since I saw this revolution in television technology and to this day I have been unable to find any mention of it. I never saw the advert again, have never met anyone who saw it, and can find no references to it on the Internet.

I’m now left wondering if it’s even possible. Can the illusion of two separate colours be created on black and white television? (The TV system in use at the time was 25 frames per second, 625 lines vertical resolution PAL.) If not, just what did I see? Any insights from readers would be most welcome. CF Brisbane, Australia