Tag: retro advertising
The Owl Who Taught Us Not to Litter
“Give a hoot, don’t pollute!” Those six words made Woodsy Owl one of the most memorable public-service characters of the…
Billy Martin, George Steinbrenner, and Miller Lite
The 1978 Miller Lite commercial with Billy Martin and George Steinbrenner worked because it was barely a joke. It was…
Dairy Queen and the Cartoon Rock-and-Roll Sell
This old Dairy Queen ad has that familiar feel of a commercial trying to grab kids fast. Instead of just…
Superman and the Early Tony the Tiger
Long before Tony the Tiger became the big, sporty “They’re Gr-r-reat!” mascot we all remember, he looked a little different…
When a Wine Ad Sounded Like Theater
The commercial was simple, but that was the power of it. Welles sat there with that unmistakable voice, making wine…
When Plymouth Turned a Cartoon Into a Muscle Car
The Road Runner was already a Saturday morning favorite before Plymouth got involved. Kids knew the bird, the desert, the…
Colt 45 and the Man Who Waited for the Pour
Colt 45 started in Baltimore in 1963, and even the name had a local sports connection. The brand now says…
Maxwell House and the Percolator Days
Before Mr. Coffee changed the way so many of us made coffee (drip coffee), most homes had a percolator sitting…
New Country Corn Flakes
The New Country Corn Flakes commercial stood out to me as a kid, and I still remember it to this…
The FedEx Fast-Talking Man
Before every company tried to make commercials feel like mini-movies, FedEx gave us one that felt like a full workday…