Pioneering director of commercials for ITV who introduced Arthur, the Kattomeat cat, and Captain Birds Eye

When ITV was launched in 1955, many people seized the opportunity to make programmes for the new television channel. But Roger Lambert, who has died aged 96, was a visionary director who saw the potential for a whole new industry in Britain – producing commercials for the small screen.

When the BBC’s competitor began broadcasting in the London area on 22 September, one of the first advertisements to be seen by viewers in just 100,000 homes was made by Studio Lambert.