Some of the most innovative ads of the 80s and 90s were a result of the cola wars that waged between industry giants Coca-Cola and Pepsi. This bitter rivalry started in the late 1800’s (talk about retro!) and continues to this very day.
Soft drink origins date back when herbal cola syrup mixtures were sold in pharmacies as cure-alls and brain tonics. Colas back then actually contained coca extract from the kola nut that is better known today as cocaine. Needless to say people liked to get their cola fix but found the stuff too hard to drink straight so pharmacists began mixing it with water at first and eventually soda water which many people found be a very pleasant tasting beverage. Fast forward 100 years, the cocaine is no longer an ingredient, but we’re still sucking the stuff back like it actually does a body good. Hardly.
So here’s a small tribute to some of the Pepsi ads from back in the day. Why Pepsi instead of Coke? It gave me an excuse to post an ad with a young Cindy Crawford………that’s why.
Happy Retro Labour Day
When you think of labour day, you assume it was the brainchild of some tree huggin‘ Canadian or similar minded forward thinking country but in fact the Labour movement was born in the good ol‘ U.S.A. The idea of unions and worker’s rights was bred in the land known (and often hated by some ass backward countries) for it’s capitalists.
Samuel Gompers, an American, is the one to thank for the eight hour work days and worker’s compensation. He organized the American Federation of Labour and was their president for many years and helped make the American work force one of the highest paid in the world.
Ironically, another American named Sam, Sam Walton created an outlet for merchandise that is mainly made in non-unionized countries with low standards of living and deplorable work conditions with no benefits, which has led to some North American suppliers close their factories here and ship jobs off-shore. Go figure.
Something to think about as you chow down on chicken and tater salad at a Labour Day picnic. In honor of labour day, here’s a few videos with an obvious theme that relates to the nature of this much welcomed holiday.
Retro Video of the Day – Sweet Dreams / Pop Muzik
In keeping with the MTV theme from the posting the other day here’s two examples of videos that kind of show how quick some artists realized what a powerful media videos could be in giving their music a whole new dimension and got pretty serious about producing a quality video to go along with the song.
Eurythmics came on the scene with “Sweet Dreams” in the early 80s and as if Annie Lennox’s incredible voice wasn’t enough, you also got the cool visual imagery to accent the song and really solidify the mood and feeling it produced whenever you heard it afterwards. The images of the video made you think how it all connected to the song and it stayed with you. (Having said that – what’s with the cow in the video?)
By contrast, Pop Music by “M” (pronouned “Ehmm” – yeah, I’m kidding) was so hokey that it almost seems like a parody produced in someone’s basement. Everything from the cheap set to the seizure like dance routines make this video so bad it’s actually good. This song was a hit but I hope the dude didn’t spend all the money in one place – he sure as heck didn’t spend it on the video!
I Want My MTV – To Start Playing Music Videos Again
There was a time when having your song played on the radio in a regular rotation was the most critical aspect of music promotion. Getting on the air in major markets was paramount to success. It was all about the quality of the music and vocals, there was substance, there was talent, you didn’t have to be pretty or ruggedly handsome to have a hit record. Then it all went hell. Well, not at first.
In 1981, Music Television went on the air in the U.S. and single handedly changed the way music was marketed and promoted virtually overnight. MTV was the brainchild of Warner Communications and American Express, who funded Warners’ cable business but wanted a commercial outlet to reach the teen and young adult markets who traditionally have high disposable income.
When Warner and Amex gave the go ahead for the channel, the timing couldn’t have been worse. In the late 70s, record companies were hurting and looking to cut costs and one of the first things on the chopping block were music videos which were being produced for late night TV and specialty shows and were mainly filler on local channels.
At the time, videos were never really considered a necessity and some of the more avant garde artists like David Bowie and Talking Heads were using them as an artistic extension of their music but most bands were simply churning out performance videos either as concert footage or hokey and staged performances that they lip synched badly too. The consensus amongst the record companies was that videos had a negligible impact on sales. At the time they were probably right.
The race to get the channel on the air in 1981 was on before record execs completed their 1982 operating budgets. Before deciding on Music Television, MTV was almost dubbed TV-1 and TV-M for Television Music which really didn’t roll of the tongue to well so it was switched around and the young channel found it’s name. Now that they had a name, they went out and tried to get their hands on as many videos as they could. So how many videos did they have in their library on launch day? A whopping 250.
Original MTV VeeJays 
Some record companies like MCA and Polygram flatly refused to be a part of the channel and didn’t provide any videos at all. The channel struggled to convince the companies that videos would help promote the artists and boost their record sales. Because of the fact that many record companies were slow to get on board, the video cupboard was kind of bare and heavily stacked towards certain artists. For example, thirty of the 250 videos on hand were Rod Stewart videos. Regardless, MTV figured once they showed some minor signs of success, the record companies would come around. So on August 1, 1981 MTV launched with its first video, the prophetic (yes, I’m talking about you Christopher Cross) “Video Killed The Radio Star” by the Buggles.
It didn’t really catch on with the cable companies at first. Their now infamous, “I want my MTV!” campaign changed all that and had thousands of people literally screaming the phrase to local video companies convincing them to add the new channel to their roster and it quickly swept across the U.S. and was making money by 1984. The influence it had on pop-culture was undeniable.
Christopher Cross- great face for radio 
It was no longer good enough to have a good song as a musician, you had to have a look and a photogenic (videogenic? is that even a word?) face to make it. Network television took notice and tried to compete with shows like ABC Rocks and NBC’s Friday Night Videos but MTV was 24/7 music videos and nobody was doing that.
MTV had its share of controversy as well. For one thing, they refused to play ” Billie Jean” or anything else by Michael Jackson saying that “R & B” wasn’t what MTV was all about similar to why Country music wasn’t being played on MTV either. Ironically, Canada launched its music channel, Much Music, with “Billie Jean” as the first video they played. Upon closer inspection of the playing rotation for February 1983, MTV only had two videos being played that featured black artists: Tina Turner and the dude from The English Beat. MTV was given the ultimatum of either play “Billie Jean” or no more videos from CBS and their associated record labels. Obviously they caved and “Billie Jean” not only became iconic, but it changed the way most videos would be made going forward. It raised the bar to what a video can be – a visual representation of the song, not just a lip-synced, pseudo concert performance.
The second video aired on MTV
MTV did come around though. Four years later they launched “Yo! MTV Raps” and helped turn rap and hip-hop into the mainstream genre that it is today. Some of the other classic programming they provided over the years include their “Unplugged” acoustic series, Beavis and Butthead, Total Request Live (TRL), along with their various award shows. Along the way though they did lose sight of their roots and moved away from playing music videos to providing reality programming like Punk’d, The Real O.C., A Shot At Love, The Hills, The Ashley Simpson Show (Editor’s note: sweet baby Jesus, make it stop), The Surreal Life, The Osbournes, Pimp My Ride and a host of others that are numbing our children’s brains and providing zero cultural significance and making us all a wee bit shallower and dumb……….but I digress.
It’s interesting to wonder how many artists from the 80s and 90s would have even seen the light of day in North America if it wasn’t for the musical vehicle that was MTV.
Retro Video of the Day – I Just Can’t Get Enough
What better way to start a Friday than with a Retro classic from the early 80s from an influencial band that is still around today? Depeche Mode’s “I Just Can’t Get Enough” from their album Speak and Spell was the first single they released in the U.S. though they released two others songs before this in the U.K.
The song reached number 8 in the Uk Singles chart and number 26 on the U.S. Hot Dance Music / Club Play charts. This was the final song written by Vince Clark before he left to team up with Alison Moyet to form Yazoo (later changed to Yaz) and is the only Depeche Mode video to feature Vince Clark. It’s also the last video anywhere with Vince Clarke featuring a full head of hair with no shaved areas. I tend to nit pic with my trivia at times.
Retro Bonus Video – It’s a rare one!
Retro Celebrity Disses and Put Downs
When you watch the chemistry between a couple of actors at the top of their game on the big screen you tend to think to yourself what a wonderful life they must have and how great it must be to be working opposite other famous actors. You figure they can’t possibly have the same problems you do in your job like dealing with the obnoxious slob in the cubicle next to yours or the whiny girl in accounting that always seems to be at your desk just as you’re about to head out to lunch.
Well guess again. Although many actors have great experiences while filming with their co-stars, others have less than happy thoughts after the fact and aren’t afraid to express themselves. Here are a few for your consideration.
Susan Sarandon once said of Mel Gibson, “He’s somewhere to the right of Atilla the Hun. He’s beautiful, but only on the outside.” Ouch. I’m pretty sure Mel mentioned something about her outer beauty as well and how he wanted to go all Atilla on her but I’m pretty sure it’s not the same thing.
Kris Kristofferson commented on his “A Star Is Born” co-star Barbara Streisand saying, “Working with Barbara Streisand is pretty stressful. It’s like sitting down to a picnic in the middle of a freeway.” Well, that paints a pretty picture don’t it? He’s not alone though. Tennis star Pete Sampras used to date Babs and he once noted, “She’s what I call a pitching wedge. She looks good from about 150 yards away.” I don’t think in all recorded history has a woman ever been compared to a golf club.
Ava Gardener seemed a little embittered towards her ex-husband Frank Sinatra when he married actress Mia Farrow. Ava said, “I always knew he’d end up in bed with a boy.” Meeeeow. Having said that, looking at the picture kind of makes it hard to dispute. Well played Ava……well played.
Frank Sinatra was one of the hottest crooners in music for the longest time until a good ol’ boy from Memphis took the country by storm. Elvis Presley – nuff said. What did ol’ blue eyes think of Elvis’s style of music? He said, “His kind of music is deplorable, a rancid-smelling aphrodisiac.” Seriously Frank, how do you really feel? Always remember, Frank may have been the Chairman of the board, but Elvis was the King. Thank ya vury muuch.
I would have asked what’s up with Melanie Griffith’s sunglasses but they really are the least of her problems at the moment. Here’s what the Antonio Banderas loving actress said about working with James Wood, “It is like being pregnant. At first you are happy. Then you think it was a mistake. And in the end you want it to be over.” Geez – where is the love? Who knows, maybe James is difficult to work with, but having said that, it’s also true that James Woods is actually prettier than Melanie.
Before They Were Famous Part 3
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.
Retro Video of the Day – I Want You To Want Me
Okay here’s the deal – more often than not Mondays kind of suck for various reasons and to varying degrees. What’s needed is a happy, go lucky feel good song with no strings attached to help either jump start your day or to give you the extra push to help you survive the next few hours until quitting time. Allow me to help.
Cheap Trick’s “I Want You To Want Me” was a song from their second album, Colors, released in 1977 but failed to chart in the U.S. It did however reach #1 in Japan along with a few other of their songs prompting them to perform a few concerts at the Buddakan in Tokyo which they ended up recording and releasing as a live album. The live version of “I Want You To Want Me” went Gold and finally broke the top 10 in the U.S. reaching #7 on BillBoard’s Hot 100 in 1979 – two years after it’s initial release.
Retro TV Ad of the Day – Smash Up Derby
These days there are so many regulations, safety standards and laws in place to try and keep children’s toys safe from harming kids and even with all that in place, you still hear about toys being recalled due to risks of chocking or burning and so on. However, back in the 70s and 80s, there were toys that almost seemed like the manufacturers were trying to compete on developing the most dangerous toys possible.
Case in point was the Kenner Demolition Derby play set that featured two fair sized cars that were designed to blow apart into little pieces when they were smashed into each other at a pretty good speed. So whenever you smashed them together, little bite sized pieces of the cars with sharp edges would go flying in all directions, perfect for taking out an eye or being found by a toddler and choking on it. Having said that – you wanted one…….you really wanted one.
Candies You Grew Up With That May Gross You Out Now (Part 1)
Being a kid in the 70s and 80s allowed you to experience certain candies that may no longer be produced but some of the stuff you grew up with is still around and there are even some specialty stores and websites that cater to making available the treats of your youth. However, just because you can still get them, doesn’t mean you should. Your adult palette is vastly different than your youthful taste of what was gross and what was really cool.
While eating some of the stuff on this list today may remind you of your youth, it may also provide startling and sobering realizations that you may not have been firing on all cylinders when making choices while spending your hard earned allowance at the candy counter as a kid.
Bazooka – Not only was this gum cheap, 2 for a penny back in the day although I may be seriously dating myself, but it also came with a small comic featuring Bazooka Joe, who wore an eye patch and a bunch of his freaky friends including Mort who wore his turtleneck pulled up way over his mouth. If you collected enough of them, you could send away for X-Ray Specs or a Spy Ring. Only problem was the gum turned to rock and tasted like cardboard in about 3 minutes.
Gold Nugget Gum – Although this gum suffered the same fate as Bazooka in terms of turning to rock in your mouth and tasting like paste in less than 3 minutes, it came with very cool packaging in the shape of a little sack similar to what prospectors or cowboys supposedly carried their gold nuggets around in. When you were done pretending you were a cowboy after all your gum was gone, you could find other uses for the sack. Many a little plastic green army man suffered a cruel fate while imprisoned in the tiny sack with a fist full of marbles.
Wax Lips – While we’re on the subject of gum that tastes like cardboard, I submit for your consideration the ruby red wax lips. You looked like a Mr. Potato Head when you wore them and when the novelty wore off, you tried to chew it like gum and found out – it ain’t gum. Can you even chew wax safely? I mean there are lovely strawberry scented candles out there but is anyone compelled to take a bite out of one and chew on it?
Nik-L-Nip – Speaking of wax, these babies were little wax bottles that you bit the top off of and sucked back the sweet elixir within. These things were so freakin’ un-Godly sweet and partly responsible for the footmarks on the ceiling in my room when I was a kid. There’s also a version that looked like little coke bottles and tasted oddly like today’s Coke Black.
Popeye Cigarettes – What was cooler
than riding up on your banana seated bike, with hockey cards in the spokes, in your Fonzie T-shirt and Nike canvas high tops and whipping out a pack of Popeye Cigarettes and slowly pulling one out of the pack and raising it casually to you’re lips, pretending to take a slow drag like you saw your dad do on a real cancer stick, looking at your friends and giving the thumb’s up signal while uttering the coolest thing you could come up with back then, “Aaaaaaaaaaay!”. Answer – nothing, nothing was cooler.
Fun Dip – Quite possibly the most impractical candy every marketed. Concept was simple. Lick the candy stick and dip it in the flavored crystals and lick the crystals off and repeat. However, it was hard to sneak a dose during class, and sharing was a bitch. Either you split the candy stick, which made it harder to eat, or you had to let your friend stick a wet finger in the pouch. Yummy.