Category: commercials

When Weiners Were Hot Dogs

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It kind of sucks when things you grew up with and liked or possibly loved get twisted into something different and are forever tied to some stupid act or worse a really really really really dumb guy. When I was a kid, Oscar Mayer was synonymous with delicious hot dogs or bologna. A wiener was something you looked forward to at a ballgame or a cookout. Now, when someone says wiener, you immediately think of:




Oh sorry, that’s a picture of a twit not a wiener…….. or is it both……. hmmmm, so confused now. Honestly though, who could have seen it coming. Anthony Weiner always looked so confident, so professional and well adjusted. A man of power and resolve. Why would there be any reason after enjoying moderate political success that he’d crave and need the admiration of young women to feel powerful and accomplished? I’m sure as a young lad he got his ya ya’s out so that as an adult he could keep his libido in check. After all the action he must have got in high school and college he’d surely be able to keep his wiener in his pants right ?? 

   Oh snap………. never mind. 


Happy Retro Mother’s Day !!

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If you happen to have forgotten mother’s day, which is is today, don’t be surprised if the looks your getting from mama look something like this.


And rightly so. After all, regardless of what you think of your mother, remember one thing – she grew a human being inside her body. Let me say that again – she grew a human being (or possibly a few) in her body. For that alone you have to respect her. She sacrificed her body, time and energy and smothered you with unconditional love to make you the person you are today and you couldn’t take the time to drop by a Hallmark store? Mr T pities the fool that doesn’t respect his mom. 


I’m still lucky to have my mom in my life and it amazes me that even at her age she seems to have more energy than I do and still manages to keep smiling even with all the aches and pain that come with getting older. What’s the secret ? How does she do it ?


Many have entertained the Supermom theory and that would certainly explain a lot however a more plausible theory on how mom is able to do all that she does and still keep on smiling would be……..


Still, however it is they are able to do what they do and still keep on smiling, more power to them. For most of us, your mom was and possibly still is your rock that was there every time you had a bad day, or made a dumb mistake or just had a case of the blahs. One hug from her or a finely crafted bowl of soup and you felt better – that’s the true magic of motherhood and that’s what we celebrate. 


Here’s to all the mothers out there. Hope someone spoils you rotten…….. in a retro way (sorry – had to slip that in)

  
 

Disturbing Easter Egg Commercial of the Day

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Regardless of your religious background, if you’re a kid, Easter always means chocolate and lots of it. Growing up you didn’t care what the brand was, whether it was pure milk chocolate or chock pull of palm oil, imitation mockolate. Whether is was in the shape of an egg, a bunny, a train or your favorite cartoon character, all you cared about was that it was chocolate. 


Then along came Kinder Surprise eggs. A perfect marriage of dark and white chocolate and a very cool surprise in each egg. They were certainly a treat and caught on pretty quick despite their disturbing ad that was most certainly conceived while under the influence of really bad chocolate or after questionable chocolate brownies. 

Retro Video of the Day – Max Headroom’s Christmas Classic

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Need a break from all the sappy Christmas music that is no doubt following you around everywhere you go these days as you prepare for the magic of Christmas while draining your savings account? Search no further – Max Headroom is back to bring you some retro joy.


Remember him? If your a retro fan then you are aware of the odd phenomenon from the mid 80s that spawned a bit of a craze. With technology becoming a bigger part of our lives and video technology pushing new boundaries, the timing was perfect for the emergence of a fictional artificial intelligence doing his thing on a video screen.

Max Headroom got his start as British TV series but became better known thanks to a video by Art of Noise that featured him performing for “Paranoimia”. That led to a gig as a spokesman (spokesgraphic ? spokesimage ? spokesthingy ?) or talking head for New Coke that helped propel Max into the public conscienceness.

Due to his popularity, Chrysalis released a Christmas song featuring Max singing “Merry Christmas Santa Claus” with his trademark stutter and quirky delivery.

Retro Ad of the Day – The Spirit of Christmas

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One thing that has changed since the retro days of old are the television ads around Christmas time. Sure even back then, advertisers were trying their hardest to get you to spend your hard earned dollars on bigger and better gifts for little Timmy or that special someone but they weren’t smacking you upside the head with the message or trying to make you feel like less of a human for not spending more for a bigger, better gift than you bought last year.


There was always a beautiful Christmas scene with snow and a happy family sharing a magical Christmas moment with tender looks and gentle hugs. Then while sipping on hot cocoa, mom would present a beautifully wrapped gift to little Cindy who opened it and beamed like the little cherub she was to the delight of the whole family.


Of course nowawdays they show little Cindy freaking out because she didn’t get a 3g iPhone or a new car with a big bow waiting for her in the driveway. Meanwhile dad is sleeping on the couch because he thought a new blender would be the perfect gift to go with the Slap Chop he bought mom for her birthday. Was it really necessary to hurl it at him like that? How’s he supposed to return it now?

With that in mind, let’s take a look at a couple of Christmas ads that you’ll remember and will warm you up better than any Snuggie ever could.

There are of course some exceptions………

Retro Ad of the Day – Coca Cola

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I’ve been in a bit of a football kick these last few days probably a reaction to my five week winning streak in fantasy football but it got me thinking of some classic commercials featuring football. Obviously the Superbowls have given us some classics in recent years but in my retro world only one sticks out as a true feel good classic.

Coca Cola did an ad in 1979 featuring all-Pro Pittsburgh Steeler defensive back “Mean” Joe Greene which became an instant classic. They actually remade the commercial for Super Bowl XLIII featuring current Pittsburgh Steeler defensive back Troy Polomalu that had a bit of a twist from the original. Here they are together – see if you spot the subtle differences.

Before They Were Famous Part 3

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Many a young actor has been faced with making commercials as a way to pay the bills that can hopefully lead to something bigger and better. If they’re lucky, it will be an advertisement that is classy and have artistic merit that they can proudly look back on. On the other hand, it may be something they regret ever doing and hate anyone for bringing it up.

Here’s a look at a few more examples of commercials featuring celebrities before they made it big – you decide what category they belong in as mentioned above. To check out the first installment, click here and the second installment, click here.


Before hanging with friends as Joey Tribiani, Matt LeBlanc did a Heinz Ketchup commercial that was actually pretty cool. Even back then you could almost picture the classic line oozing out of him made famous years later on Friends, “How yooooou doin’…..?”

Bruce Willis made an appearance on our second installment, with hair, dancing away in a Levi’s ad. Here he is again in a Seagram’s commercial, still with hair, which illustrates clearly he wasn’t afraid to ham it up for the camera.

Not to be outdone by her ex-husband, here’s Demi Moore, before the half million dollars worth of cosmetic surgeries, doing her thing in a Coke ad. I think this ad is older than Ashton Kutcher………..just sayin’.

Finally, rounding out our retro look at celebrities in advertising is Neo himself, Keanu Reeves, in a Kellogg’s Corn Flakes ad from 1987. I can honestly say I’ve never seen such a look of pure joy, such satisfaction (ecstasy?) from any one eating a bowl of cereal before.