Let me preface this post by stating unequivocally I have watched entirely too much television in the course of my life. I have watched enough for me, and probably for you as well. I don't watch very much these days, although there are a few shows I don't miss, and I like watching NFL football.
In today's age of Tivo (or your DVR of choice), Netflix, Roku, "on demand" cable and satellite services, it is very easy to avoid TV commercials. As a result, advertisers have found ways to make commercials more interesting, or funny, or eye-catching, so that you might actually take a second or two to see what's going on there on your screen.
I NEVER thought I would say this, but I sometimes miss the old ads of yesteryear. You know, the ones that have jingles that still rattle around in my mind. The ones with Colonel Sanders, or Ronald McDonald, or the Jolly Green Giant (ho,ho,ho).
When I was a kid, we didn't have fancy universal remotes, or any remotes, for that matter. In fact, I was the remote in our house:
"Jason, change it to channel five."
"Jason, could you switch it to the game now?"
Being an only child had its perks (no sharing required), but this particular item didn't make the list.
Those large dials were always fun. Chunka-chunka-chunka. Channel 4. Chunka-chunka-chunk. Channel 7.
I remember when we first got cable television, when I was around 12 or 13. We had a small basic remote for changing channels. Of course, it had no volume control, so you had to get off your duff to adjust that manually.
One thing that I sort of miss now is the fact that you always knew what they were actually trying to sell you back then:
"Blue Star Ointment. It kills itching fast."
"Kentucky Fried Chicken. Finger-licking good!"
McDonald's even had a knack for bringing a tear to the eye with their ads, although I will readily admit that it never made me want to eat their food.
One of the most famous ads of all-time is Coca-Cola's "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing", which was sort of like a hippie love-in on behalf of a major soft drink company, but it was catchy and memorable and pleasant, even if the folks in the ad look a bit hypnotized:
Here's another popular ad from my childhood - this one came out when I was about six or so probably. Does anyone here understand this particular marketing technique? I don't exactly understand the appeal, but I know that they darn sure wanted me (or my parents) to buy some Kool-Aid, perhaps with the threat of being crushed by the giant pitcher if I didn't comply?
We had to deal with the spectre of the scary Kool Aid dude, and the strangeness of the Chuck Wagon mini-stagecoach (seemed very much like a bad drug trip for dogs, in my opinion), and the incessant Slinky song (it's Slinky, it's Slinky, fun for a girl or a boy!). I would take any of these over the incredible soft sell found in today's commercials.
I have often found myself talking about ads with friends, then we realized that none of us even know what company the ads are promoting.
I think it's great to include humor in ads, but not at the expense of the focus/reason for the ad in the first place.
"Wow! That was hilarious! I have no idea what they were selling, but I laughed."
I really don't have any central point to this post, other than to offer my opinion that advertisers might be better served by bringing back cute characters and mascots, and having hippie love-fests, and beating me over the head with their incessantly catchy jingles. Hey - jingles work. This one is one that I like to serenade my wife with when we go to movies sometimes:
Thanks for reading!
If you enjoyed this post, why not connect with me elsewhere or subscribe via email?
If you're looking for a home in the Austin area, you can also visit my primary Austin real estate website at www.austintexashomes.com. If you're interested in social media training, visit 210 Consulting. Thanks!
Jason,
I agree that some of those old commercials were memorable. We only got one channel so there was no switching stations. :)
Steve
Oh, I can remember commercials in black and white, lets not even go there...Brillcream...just a dab will do ya.
You're right Jason. A good TV commercial is a work of art.
Jason - too funny. I can totally relate to being the remote in my house too for my dad. I remember when we got a color tv and then when we moved to cable and took down the bunny ears - wow, what a big day in my house and neighborhood. When cable came, I was beside myself with all the channels and didn't know what to watch first. But of course, I will forever have those old jingles and shows in my head and when I see advertisers trying to recreate or go back to the way they used to advertise (bringing back a new version of their old commercials) it simply warms my heart. My daughter looks at me and says "I don't get it." LOL
Jason, one of the things that you forgot to mention was that Coca Cola was able to assemble all of those seemingly hypnotized hippies back then because this was when Coke - the real thing -- still contained cocaine! :)! If you ever watch Family Guy, they have a funny spook of Mr. Kool Aid breaking through the walls of the courthouse. Oh, and I forgot about that General Cinema jingle -- are there still General Cinemas around?
Like my dad always said about buying a TV with a remote control....
That'll be the day when I'm that lazy!!! ....
That I can't have your mother get up and change the channels for me! He was serious too!!
I used to watch too much also, it is possible to give it up... there are many books worth reading.
Funny stuff Jason.
Hi jason. I love looking at old commercials. There are a lot of compilations on youtube for the 60's, 70's, and 80's. I love that when you go to the drive-in they still show some of those old, lets all go to the movies introductions. :)
Brian, I don't think cocaine was in Coca-Cola in the 60's or 70's. I think it was back in the 30's. Now you have made me have to look it up.... :-)
Jason, Thanks for the channel turning memories. We only had three channels when I was a kid.
Fun trip down memory lane. There were four children remotes so who ever was the closest!
Hi Jason... When you can remember a jingle or a slogan or a TV commerical that has not been used inover 20 years, it speaks not only to nostalgia, but to effectiveness. If it sticks with you that long, it has more than done its job! I still get kinda sad when I see a Charmin commercial without Mr. Whipple squeezing the Charmin!
Thanks for the memories Jason....chunka, chunka, chunk. "Dang I over shot channel 10". So chunka, chunka, chunka, chunka, chunka, chunka, chunka.......all the way around until it came back to channel 10. And oh boy if my dad over shot it a second time; the profanity was flying around!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry, Brian... Coca Cola became completely cocaine free in 1929. Now there's an advertising jingle for you... "now cocaine free, since 1929!"... you think they'll go for it?
http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/cocaine.asp
chunka-chunka-chunka. Music to my ears. I saw one of those ancient televisions the other day. Reminded me of the one we used to have in our living room resting itself on the orange shag carpet. :). KM
Funny thing was we all watched the same thing because there were so few channels ... I miss Saturday's and Creature Double Feature, Puffin' Stuff and Witchie Poo, and Give a Hoot Don't Pollute Commercials ... Thanks for the jaunt down memory lane! My kids are always amazed when a group of us the same age start talking about shows, and then she reminds me that they never had those phones - you know the ones with the cord thingy attached that you had to dial with your finger in the hole. LOL times have changed
Alan & Shirley, I knew there was no cocaine in the Coca-Cola... that was just a joke, b/c the people in the commercial do look like they are "on something."
Hey Jason,
How about:
Husband: "I can't believe I ate the whoooole thing!"
Wife: "You ate it, Ralph!" (ad for alka seltzer)
or,
two-all-beef-patties- special sauce-lettuce-cheese- pickles-onions- on a sesame seed bun!
or,
Mean Joe Green tossing his football jersey to the young boy.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Jason its amazing I could hear the music for the general cinema as soon as I saw it on your post. Those guys back then were genius ad men.
I just loved this and remember when they could still advertise smoking "Take a puff...it's springtime"...WOW and I am still laughing about you as the "old school" remote control!
Ahhh, analog superhetrodyne tuners, and fine tuners, vhf and uhf, rabbit ears and loops.
Mr. Clean would get your whole house clean and you could Plop Plop Fizz Fizz away a stomache ache.
And the whole family would sing along. Ok, I made that part up.
Oh boy! You just put me in the time machine (or should I say "Way Back Machine). I can remember when we didn't have a TV. I can also remember when we first got one and yes.. the remote controls were the kids who generally watched the "tube" while laying on the floor. I do remember things advertised such as Ipana (toothpaste), bryl cream (and yes a little dab would do ya; any more and you were called "slick"), and many more. They were all in black and white as was everything else.
I guess the modern version would be the FreeCreditReport.com commercials. I can't get that jingle, rock or rap(?), out of my head.
Yeah, I remember the old Televisions. Do you remember losing the nob? I hear comedian's talk about using pliers to change the channels. We really did that. And we also used the LARGE tv as a stand when it broke. We placed the newer TV on the older one.
Can you think back of how many jingles you recall because they stuck in your head? The 'Koolade' commercial brought back some memories and so did a few jingles and/or slogans. I'll never forget R-O-L-A-I-D-S (spells relief).
'Martha are you up... Martha are you up... I'll get the aspirin and sucrets' (not sure how you spell it). Good times!
"Jason, could you switch it to the game now?" Wasn't it amazing that we always knew which game to put it on?
BRIAN - It's funny to see how much research went into figuring out that Coca-Cola did NOT have cocaine during those years. I guess we are in the season of fact-checking! I knew it was a joke, but it was interesting to hear when they actually removed it. Maybe it was responsible for the Great Depression?
I remember the old Milky Way jingles. And with today's commercials, I know what you mean. I remember pieces of them that I can repeat and laugh about, but I rarely remember what they were advertising.
Ttwo-all-beef-patties- special sauce-lettuce-cheese- pickles-onions- on a sesame seed bun was the first thing that popped in my head as I saw it also did another commenter. Now I'm off on a mission to find my Mr. Kool-Aid cup so I can take a picture and save it's image for all eternity.
Jason, that Kool-Aid commercial was a very early example of 'pull thru' marketing. You appeal to the kids who sell the parents on purchasing the item. Yhat is the earliest example I can remember of this. And you should now know that this is the preferred technique.... as marketers advertise mostly on cartoon channels.