Louie the Fly

Louie the Fly is an anthropomorphic housefly who appears in advertisements for Mortein, an Australian brand of insecticide. Mortein was first developed in Australia in the 1870s by German immigrant J. Hagemann, the name being a combination of mort (French: “dead”) and ein (German: one). Mortein was manufactured by Samuel Taylor Pty Ltd from 1937. Few people would be aware, however, that best-selling author Bryce Courtenay is the man behind the fly.

The author of 17 novels including the The Power of One, Tandia and The Potato Factory was a 24-year-old advertising copywriter working for Sydney's McCann Erickson agency when the account landed in his lap by dint of a nervous managing director from the company that made Mortein — "a man named Bill Graham, who was answerable only to God" — who had rejected the original proposal.

The character of Louie, coupled with a catchy advertising jingle, stuck in people’s memories, and became something of an Australian icon. Louie has changed slightly over the decades, but keeps returning to television adverts every Spring and Summer. He is depicted as a street-smart, roguish hustler, wearing a hat while a burnt-match toothpick (at one time a cigar) hangs from his mouth. More recently, he has been joined by other minor characters (including spiders, mosquitoes, and cockroaches, including one named "Harry") created by the advertisers to promote the versatility of Mortein.

Original advertising jingle
Louie the Fly, I’m Louie the Fly Straight from rubbish tip to you. Spreading disease, with the greatest of ease. Straight from rubbish tip to you. I’m bad and mean and mighty unclean. Afraid of no-one, ‘cept the man with the can of Mortein. Hate that word Mortein. One spray and Louie the Fly, Apple of his old mother’s eye was Louie, Poor dead Louie, Louie the Fly a victim of Mortein. Mortein.