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Many of today’s TV shows omit an opening theme altogether and then use a credit squeeze over the ending credits just so they can cram in more commercials. (I hate that, by the way.) But quantity doesn’t always mean quality. Whatever happened to creative commercials that used catchy, original music that got stuck in your head for days on end? Maybe you remember some of these:
1. You Deserve a Break Today
Do you remember when McDonald’s had teams of enthusiastic 30-year-old men scrubbing down every inch of the store? Me neither. But true-to-life or not, this spot launched the trend of featuring elaborate production numbers in commercials. Casual TV viewers might spot a young John Amos (James Evans on Good Times) among the Mickey D crew members. Heavy-duty watchers may recognize Johnny Haymer (Sgt. Zale on M*A*S*H) as well.
DID YOU KNOW? While Barry Manilow wrote many hit jingles, he did not pen the “You Deserve a Break Today” song (although he did occasionally sing it in concert). The tune was written by Kenny Karen.
2. Noodles up in Lights
If you grew up during the golden age of MGM musicals, you’re probably wrinkled by now. But you probably also remember Ann Miller as one of the studio’s biggest tap-dancing stars. If you spent most of your time in front of the small screen in the 1970s, though, you probably remember her as the pitchwoman for the line of Great American Soups by Heinz.
DID YOU KNOW? This commercial was written and directed by parody song legend Stan Freberg.
3. Wearin’ My Levi’s
There are catchy commercial jingles, and there are those that are just plain infectious. This one always got my toe tapping, and I bet you won’t be able to resist “haw haw-ing” along with this classic Levi’s commercial (even if you do it the second time you watch it).
DID YOU KNOW? The song in this commercial is loosely based on The Fendermen’s rendition of “Mule Skinner Blues.”
4. Wonderfully Orangey
Until the mid-1960s, Nesbitt’s Orange was the only orange soda pop sold at Disneyland. The animation in this commercial leans more toward R. Crumb than Uncle Walt, though.
DID YOU KNOW? Marilyn Monroe appeared in print ads for Nesbitt’s Orange in 1946.
5. That’s Why We Love Faygo
The song in this spot was so popular that Faygo released it on a 45 (that’s a small, seven-inch vinyl record, kids) that sold for the princely sum of 25 cents. “Remember When You Were a Kid” appeared briefly on several Detroit-area radio stations’ Top 30 playlists.
DID YOU KNOW? This commercial was filmed aboard the Boblo boat, which for 81 years ferried passengers from downtown Detroit to the Boblo Island amusement park near Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada.
On the topic of vintage commercial jingles, I feel oddly privileged to have met (and studied with, sorta) the guy who wrote the old KFC jingle, back when they took the time to sound out Kentucky Fried Chicken. It was the one that went, “Kentucky Fried Chicken, we do chicken right!”. Nothing too clever but my old songwriting professor in college (SUNY Purchase) was the composer. My brush with so-called fame.
posted by Jill on 1-24-2008 at 12:58 pm
WOW the Levi’s song! Didn’t they also have an animated version of the commercial? Kinda trippy cartoony thing?
posted by qt314159265 on 1-24-2008 at 1:30 pm
John Amos was also Cleo McDowell, owner of the McDonald’s knock-off known as McDowell’s in Coming to America. I guess this is how he got his start in the fast food biz.
“See, they’re McDonald’s… I’m McDowell’s. They got the Golden Arches, mine is the Golden Arcs. They got the Big Mac, I got the Big Mick. We both got two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions, but their buns have sesame seeds. My buns have no seeds. “
posted by Joel on 1-24-2008 at 1:44 pm
So Nesbitt’s Orange came pre-spiked, did it?
posted by Stewart on 1-24-2008 at 1:53 pm
This is the McDonald’s ad we were all singing when I was a kid!
youtube.com/watch?v=RFEkfipbI3Q
posted by Moon on 1-24-2008 at 4:07 pm
The only Faygo ad I remember had that same pitchman. A kid would come up and ask for what all flavors he had, ending up with redpop, which is what they would buy, and he really hated to reach for the redpop, for reasons that weren’t easily understood. Then some other kid would come up and, well, it was lather, rinse, repeat.
Which really confused me, because their Rock ‘n Rye was great, and their pineapple orange was, too, but their redpop was one of their poorer flavors; Cadillac brand had them beat by a long shot.
Moon’s McD link was interesting. I wonder how much business you could do today having spiffy young men in bow ties, one taking your order and running the register, while another one working next to him fills your order before the cashier has your change filled out.
I don’t go to McD’s very often any more. They’re no longer cheap, no longer quick, no longer have fresh-cut fries with a little bit of the skin left on, fried in animal fat for maximum flavor, and these days, instead of a fried burger on a toasted bun, you get a microwaved burger on a soggy cold bun.
And like all so-called fast-food stores, they have a bunch of people standing around waiting on each other, studiously ignoring the cold fries which have fallen onto the greasy floor.
“2,2,1, and 1″ please!
posted by Paul Ding on 1-24-2008 at 8:24 pm
This commercial is for perhaps the world’s most craptacular game with the BEST name: Ball Buster: youtube.com/watch?v=H6drXB57d8g The last line is the best. Enjoy!
posted by Andrew on 1-24-2008 at 10:08 pm
Is that Ken Jenkins (Dr. Kelso from Scrubs) in the McDonald’s commercial? I think he’s the one singing about the cleanliness of his burger grill.
posted by mescan on 1-24-2008 at 10:20 pm
I miss jingles.
posted by World TV on 1-25-2008 at 6:08 am
Oh my gosh I remember riding that boat to Boblo Island so many times as a kid - I just had weird flashbacks…yikes I’m old.
posted by Alex on 1-25-2008 at 2:23 pm
Isn’t that Anson Williams who played Potsie Webber on Happy Days in the McD ad??
posted by Jimmy on 1-25-2008 at 10:26 pm
How can you leave our the “Maxwell House Coffee” ads? The percolater going boop a doop doop?
Try here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_HN_3ulO9M
posted by Ken David on 1-26-2008 at 11:57 pm
Also the “No matter what shape your stomach is in” series from Alka-Seltzer.
While I can’t document it I seem to recall that an expanded version of the jingle got into the Billboard top 100, possibly as far as the top 10.
I also think someone did a version of “Maxwell House” but it was not as successful.
posted by Ken David on 1-27-2008 at 12:11 am
DRAT! Left out the URL of Alka. . .
Hwew: www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-OOEtD14ww
posted by Ken David on 1-27-2008 at 12:15 am
The Faygo commercial brings back fond memories. If I’m remembering correctly, it was on in about 1974, when I was 12 years old. I sometimes spent summer vacation days visiting my grandparents, and during the day while grandpa was at work, grandma and I would spend part of the day watching tv game shows…that commercial was one of her favorites. Ilived in the Detroit area and remember it also being on the radio. Another song from a commercial that I remember on the radio is “I’d like to teach the world to sing” from Coke.
posted by Chfristine on 1-27-2008 at 12:41 am
The Faygo guy (”Everybody Ready?”) is none other than Harold Peary, “The Great Gildersleeve’ from 1940’s-50’s radio.
posted by Greg Steinmayer on 1-28-2008 at 8:27 am
I’m not a big fan of advertisements generally, but I bet everyone would appreciate it if modern ads went back to this kind of “good clean fun.”
posted by Christine on 1-30-2008 at 9:03 am
Sorry, but you entirely missed THE BEST COMMERCIAL EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mean Joe Green, the adorable (and very polite) young boy and the bottle of Coke; not bad for a chance to meet a true Football legend and get a jersey that he’d wore.
I still cry every time I see it! (Copied from The Best Superbowl Commercials aired this time last year.)
posted by Chelsea on 1-30-2008 at 11:40 am
Hey! What about the old Shasta commercial? I still sing that song… “Don’t give me that so-so soda”…
posted by Jenny on 1-30-2008 at 1:30 pm