The Funny Face drink mix commercials from the early 1970s are a classic slice of Saturday morning nostalgia. Produced by Pillsbury as a direct competitor to Kool-Aid, the “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot” campaign leaned heavily into the popular culture of the era to sell their powdered refreshments.
The tagline “When you’re hot, you’re hot… and when you’re not, you’re not” was actually borrowed from the 1971 crossover country hit by Jerry Reed. The commercials adapted this catchy hook to suggest that when kids were hot from playing outside, the “coolest” thing they could be was a “Funny Face.”
The brand was famous for its anthropomorphic fruit characters, each with a distinct personality. During the 70s run, you would typically see:
Goofy Grape: The unofficial leader of the group.
Rootin’ Tootin’ Raspberry: A cowboy-themed character.
Freckle Face Strawberry: One of the most popular flavors.
Loud-Mouth Lime: Known for his wide grin.
Choo-Choo Cherry: An engineer-themed character.
A Bit of Trivia
Interestingly, Funny Face underwent some significant changes before that 70s jingle became famous. Two original characters, Injun Orange and Chinese Cherry, were discontinued in the late 1960s due to their stereotypical nature and were replaced by Jolly Olly Orange and Choo-Choo Cherry.
By the mid-70s, Funny Face began to lose ground to Kool-Aid’s massive “Kool-Aid Man” marketing blitz. While the brand eventually faded from most grocery shelves, the “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot” jingle remains one of the most recognizable pieces of 70s advertising.
If you’re looking into 70s beverage history, you might also remember Wyler’s or Great Shakes, which used similar high-energy animation to grab the attention of the “cereal commercial” demographic.
The Pillsbury Company officially discontinued the brand in 1994.
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