Underoos were "underwear that's fun to wear," featuring designs modeled after superheroes and other pop culture characters—so you could secretly dress up as Superman under your lame school clothes.
Here's a roundup of TV ads from the late '70s and early '80s, the heyday of Underoos
awesomeness
awkwardness.
1. The Empire Strikes Back
"Underoos are for Earthlings."
2. Supergirl & Spider-Woman
...And Archie, Veronica, Scooby Doo, the characters just keep coming!
3. Misc. Boys' Styles
"You'll find the Underoos display where you buy underwear." And you will bug Mom endlessly about them.
4. Misc. Girls' Styles
Wait, they made Daisy Dukes Underoos? This changes everything.
5. Now There's the Lone Ranger and Tonto
Um.
6. They're Machine Washable!
This spot reassures parents that Underoos will not disintegrate upon washing.
7. Christmas
"Be a Christmas morning hero. Give Underoos." Note: for some reason this video repeats the commercial a second time minus sound. I guess so you can focus on the stunning visuals?
8. MASK, Thundercats, He-Man, Transformers
The special effects are astounding.
9. The Hulk, Pebbles, Archie, and Veronica.
These were all from the sadly crappy "just white with something printed on it" line of Underoos.
10. Hero Costumes for Girls
Dig that ending jingle.
11. Pseudo-Rap
Part of a proud tradition of '80s advertising.
BONUS: "Single Ladies"
An enterprising YouTuber cut together these commercials to Beyoncé's "Single Ladies." I have to admit, this kinda works.
If you want to learn more about how Underoos came to be, check out this interview with Larry Weiss, creator of the brand.