There’s nothing that promotes Good Buys quite like an advertisement. And thanks to the Super Bowl, I’ve been thinking about television commercials lately. (my fav this year was a tie between the Snicker’s commercial with Betty White and the Google Ad about the guy in Paris.) Which led me to thoughts about some of the advertising campaigns I’ve enjoyed over the years.
The first (and oldest) that comes to mind is Mr. Whipple and “Don’t Squeeze the Charmin.” I’m sure it was a mixed blessing for Dick Wilson playing Whipple. He would forever be associated with the character, which probably wasn’t all that great for getting other parts (although he had a recurring role in Bewitched), but surely guaranteed a steady income. He appeared in over 500 Charmin commercials as George Whipple.
Another oldie but goldie was Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?” Premiering in 1984, Fluffy Bun was the first commercial where Clara Peller and friends received a huge bun with missing meat. She cracked me up every time she came onto the screen. The campaign lasted a year and ended when she appeared on a Prego commercial saying she’d finally found “the beef”.
“
Can you hear me now?” has become so well loved, the phrase, used in and out of context, has become a part of our vocabulary. Paul Marcarelli who plays “Test man” is instantly recognizable and reassuring as he shows us the depth and clarity of Verizon’s network. And those horned rim glasses are really his. Wouldn’t it be fun if you really had work trucks, helicopters and “test man” following you everywhere? Okay, maybe not so much on the subway.
And my absolute favorite campaign are the “Get a Mac” ads with Justin Long and John Hodgman. I remember the first one and the moment I realized it was a play on Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Since I live with a programmer, I have more knowledge than most about their story, but clearly America got it, too, as the ads were an almost instant success. And watching those spots, who wouldn’t rather be a Mac?
But the reality is that enjoying an ad isn’t its sole purpose. It’s principle reason for existence is to sell us something. So how do my favorite campaigns stack up in my buying life?
I use Northern bath tissue. I hate hamburgers. I have an AT&T cell phone. And I’m totally and completely a PC. Oh well….
What are some of your favorite ad campaigns? Do you actually use those products?
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{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
What about the Life Cereal Commercial with Mikey? “Give it to Mikey, he hates everything.” “He likes it. Hey Mikey!” I remember that one. I wanted Life Cereal after that one.
My favorite Budweiser Commercial is the snow fight where the ‘younguns’ are kicking snow balls at the older guys. Then one of the older guys goes over to the tree the ‘youngun’ are standing under and butts it. All the snow falls off the tree and clobbers the ‘younguns’. Very good commercial.
Remember the one where the Clydesdales are lined up to play football and all the other animals – sheep, elk, buffalo, coyotes are all on the sidelines and one of sheep busts through and he’s been sheared? The guys hanging out on the fence, say, “Streaker!”. That one’s good too.
Dee, have you tried the pizza in a cone yet? I was just reading about it. A Manhattan shop has started selling pizza in a cone. I want you to find it and report in.
Never heard of it – -but enquiring minds….
“Guinness is good for you” commercial of 2000 – everybody in it was laughing their heads off and so did I.
Great fun!
Back in the days (aka when I was knee-high to a grass-hopper), several channels had short animated films between the commercials. Some of the characters from those animated mini-films are legendary, e.g. Äffle & Pferdle (monkey & horsey) of a TV channel in the south of Germany, Onkel Otto of hr3, and, of course, the famous Mainzelmännchen of the ZDF: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6OPv-Umkb8
Äffle & Pferdle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNHundkl5dA
Onkel Otto: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKaRsARl_rk
There are definitely some funny commercials in Germany. When we lived in Austria we got all the German channels and since our German leaned to grocery store and restaurant we could sometimes actually understand them
Very few commercials actually make me *buy* something. Sometimes food commercials are appetizing, and make me hungry, but by the time I’ve gotten to the store (usually days later), hunger has passed. I do think commercials increase brand trust/awareness. Good, classy, memorable ads will make me think fondly of those companies, and thus, more likely to trust their products.
What teen girl from the 80′s didn’t love the Where’s the Beef ad. I never had the Mom do you ever not feel so fresh conversation with my mom, I’m pretty sure I didn’t want to hear the answer. I’ll tell you what I hate, all childrens ads, my kids believe everything they don’t have is just awesome. Ever heard of Mighty Beans, wow they must be great, but when the kids got them home I never saw the beans again. I don’t watch much tv but print ads of cosmetics always hook me.
That Arby’s commercial is gross. I never ate at Arby’s anyway. I love the mac pc ads, and I am a mac girl.
My favorite ads are the ones that make me laugh, like the ad with Betty White and Abe Vigoda playing football. I can’t tell you waht it was advertising, but I thought it was so funny.
Loved the ad. Snickers. But I don’t eat that either.
I’m glad it’s not just me who thinks those Arby ads are obscene. I mean really–did NO ONE in their marketing department realize what those “hats” look like??? Or is that the whole point?
Oh, I’ve missed the Arby’s commercial! Love the Where’s the Beef ad. There are some phrases that just stick.
Reporting in again because my husband insisted that I repair the damage I did by leaving out his favorite campaign and I’ll admit it’s a great one. The old Alka-Seltzer “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing” campaign from 1972. For those of you who weren’t present for 1972, you might have seen the remake of the ad with Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle (of Raymond fame).
LOL, Dee! One of our faves is the Dunkin’ Donuts guy who shuffles out of bed every morning saying, “Time to make the donuts.” Whenever we set our alarm to wake up, my hubby and I always say, “time to make the donuts” when it goes off. And after a particularly filling meal, we’ve been known say, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.”
I forgot about the Dunkin’ Donuts dude! I used to love those commercials!
Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onion, on a sesame seed bun.
And my all time favorite commercials are pretty much any Coke commercial. They have such a nice heart to them.
Oh and Hallmark commercials!
I’m with you gals in loving the MAC/PC ads (I’m a PC girl). I also like the cute musician guys who sing about credit report.com (“tell your wife, tell your kids, tell your mom!”). LOVED the “Where’s the Beef?” ads–so funny! They were popular around when I got married and I bought my new hubby a T-shirt to wear on our Hawaii honeymoon that read: Where’s the Beach?
First, let me get this off my chest–good ads may not make me buy a product, but bad ads will drive me away. In fact, I’ve just made a resolution not to buy certain products based solely on their ads (see this post for details: http://www.womenofmystery.net/2010/02/putting-your-money-where-their-words.html).
Now, as to the good ones, I love the Mac v. PC ads, and I do use a Mac. The ads for the ASPCA with abused animals make me cry like a baby. And who can forget the Mean Joe Green Coke ad?
I also love the Mac-PC commercial…and use a Mac. As for fav’s, I love tha Nationwide comm’l with the bluebird and the tree that crashes into the car..but we have State. Farm and Horace Mann.
I’m very upset with Arby’s. I used to pass by in perfect innocence, seeing the logo as a hat. Now, thanks to their ads, I see it as something else and that’s creeeepy! And I do not eat Arby’s food.
I totally missed this commercial. Don’t eat at Arby’s, but now you have me dying of curiosity. What’s the story?
It’s sexually suggestive. You can read the copy here- http://adblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/12/15/1704994.aspx. The Arby’s logo appears over the guy’s head at the end, and then you see the phallic resemblance and cringe.
ew…..
I love the Budweiser ads with the Clydesdale horses. The ones from the Super Bowl are usually the best. When I need a good chuckle I will search on YouTube for them. My favorites are the snowball fight and the football game with the zebras as refs! However, I don’t drink beer and my husband is a Miller Light fan, so I would say those ads don’t get me to buy Bud
But the best of all are the M&M commercials with Red and Peanut. I LOVE THOSE COMMERCIALS! For me they are literally laugh out loud funny! And who doesn’t buy some M&Ms now and then?
I do buy M&Ms on occasion. That commercial doesn’t make me want them, usually. But commercials that show chocolate are very effective in making me want it. Unless they also feature crunching noises. I can’t stand crunch or any mouth noises added to commercials.
The commercials that make me want to eat are pizza commercials. One gooey cheesy bite and I’m so there.