How many of you immediately heard that little tub say “butter” before Vic Tayback even finished arguing with it? This 1976 Parkay commercial is one of those advertisements where a single word can bring the entire routine back
Tayback appeared in the commercial during the same year Alice premiered on CBS, introducing television audiences to Mel Sharples and his famously short temper. What many of us probably never knew was that Michael Bell supplied the voice of the Parkay tub. He later became one of animation’s busiest performers, voicing characters in G.I. Joe, The Transformers, The Smurfs and Rugrats
What I love about this campaign is how simple it was. A person said “Parkay,” the package insisted it was “butter,” and eventually the person became convinced. The tub then switched sides and proudly announced “Parkay!” That little argument became so recognizable that other television programs began parodying it
Parkay kept bringing the talking package back for decades. In 2002, the company even placed computer chips under thousands of lids so selected tubs could actually say “butter.” Did anyone in your family ever repeat the commercial whenever Parkay appeared on the breakfast table?
