old school commercials Archives - Retro Reminiscing Video and Pictures

Silly Rabbit, Trix Are For Kids!

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The Trix Rabbit is one of those cereal mascots who spent decades chasing the same bowl of cereal and almost never getting it.

Trix cereal was introduced by General Mills in 1954, but the famous slogan came a little later. General Mills says “Trix are for kids!” first appeared on the box in 1959, before the now-famous rabbit fully took over the campaign.

The setup was simple and perfect for kids: the rabbit wanted Trix, the kids caught him trying to get some, and then came the line everybody remembers:

“Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids!”

It worked because it was funny, colorful, and a little unfair. As kids, some of us probably felt bad for the rabbit. He tried costumes, schemes, disguises, and tricks, but those kids almost always shut him down.

Looking back, that was the magic of the campaign. One rabbit, one cereal, one catchphrase, and a generation that can still hear it in their head.

Wendy’s Soviet Fashion Show: “Daywear… Eveningwear… Swimwear”

The Wendy’s Soviet Fashion Show ad was a wonderfully odd 1985 commercial from the same general era as Wendy’s famous “Where’s the Beef?” campaign.

The setup was simple: a fake Soviet fashion show where every outfit looked almost exactly the same: gray, shapeless, dull, and joyless. The announcer presents each look as if it’s glamorous high fashion: daywear, eveningwear, and the best-remembered punchline, “Swimwear.”

The joke was Cold War-era contrast. Wendy’s was saying other fast-food burgers were all the same, boring and uniform, while Wendy’s offered something better and different. It was a very 1980s ad idea: take a shot at Soviet sameness, then turn it into a hamburger comparison.

The spot was directed by Joe Sedelmaier, who was known for offbeat, deadpan commercials, including Wendy’s Where’s the Beef? work. IMDb lists the writers as Cliff Freeman and Joe Sedelmaier, with Lily Monkus among the credited performers.

It also drew some complaints at the time, though not as many as you might think. A 1985 Washington Post article reported Wendy’s received about 120 letters criticizing the Soviet-themed commercial, while the company noted that was small compared with its daily customer count.

Looking back, it’s pure 1980s advertising: Cold War humor, deadpan delivery, one unforgettable visual gag, and a punchline people still remember decades later:

“Swimwear.”

Josephine the Plumber: Comet’s Cleaning Queen

https://www.theretrosite.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Josephine.mp4

Josephine from the Comet cleanser commercials was played by Jane Withers, who had already been famous years earlier as a 1930s child star. Later, a whole new generation knew her not from the movies, but as Josephine the Plumber.

Josephine appeared in Comet commercials from the 1960s into the 1970s, usually dressed in white work overalls and showing how Comet could handle stains, sinks, tubs, and other tough cleaning jobs.

What made the campaign stand out was that a woman plumber was highly unusual on TV at the time. That was part of the hook. Instead of using a typical male repairman, Comet gave viewers Josephine — friendly, confident, and no-nonsense. She knew the pipes, the porcelain, and exactly what cleaner to use.

The character worked because she felt practical and believable. She was not glamorous or fancy. She was the woman who knew how to get the job done. Jane Withers reportedly even took a plumbing course to make the role feel more authentic.

For a lot of viewers, Josephine was one of those commercial faces you trusted. If she said Comet cleaned better, you believed her. She had that perfect old-school ad quality: part neighbor, part expert, part TV personality, and completely unforgettable.