SPOTLIGHT
MEMORABLE TELEVISION COMMERCIALS
Text By Douglas Schwartz
All content in this SPOTLIGHT © copyright the respective artists. All rights reserved.
As I see it, the majority of commercials being shown on television today fit into one of two categories.
The first are the annoying commercials which include the nearly constant barrage of ads for prescription drugs and lawyers,
with some of the attorneys, ironically, suing the pharmaceutical companies because their drugs caused harm! This category of
annoying commercials also includes about a million different kinds of insurance...or so it seems...with coverage ranging from
health (Medicare in particular), to life, funerals, cars and car repair, house and household appliance repair, and even insurance
for pets. I'm not sure, but I think I saw an ad the other day for grocery insurance that protects you if your ice cream melts before
you arrive home in time to put it in the freezer!
The second category of commercials are for products which I consider to be rather disgusting to be seen advertised on
television, especially while eating dinner! I'm referring, most notably, to ads for dental floss, toilet cleaner, and body odor. Some
of these commercials go so far as to incorporate visual demonstrations on how to use their products...intended, I suppose, for
viewers who don't know how to floss their teeth, scrub their toilet, or haven't figured out where the specific locations are on the
human body that smell the worse. Yuk!
There is also a subcategory of the first category of commercials whose purpose it is to sell a seemingly never-ending supply of
foreign-made products that you probably don't need, but are priced at ONLY $19.99 (get a second one that you probably don't
need at 50% off!)...along with a bunch of ads for walk-in tubs and showers, beds, pillows and sheets. All in all, today's
commercials are a far cry from the days when many were actually fun to watch!
The first are the annoying commercials which include the nearly constant barrage of ads for prescription drugs and lawyers,
with some of the attorneys, ironically, suing the pharmaceutical companies because their drugs caused harm! This category of
annoying commercials also includes about a million different kinds of insurance...or so it seems...with coverage ranging from
health (Medicare in particular), to life, funerals, cars and car repair, house and household appliance repair, and even insurance
for pets. I'm not sure, but I think I saw an ad the other day for grocery insurance that protects you if your ice cream melts before
you arrive home in time to put it in the freezer!
The second category of commercials are for products which I consider to be rather disgusting to be seen advertised on
television, especially while eating dinner! I'm referring, most notably, to ads for dental floss, toilet cleaner, and body odor. Some
of these commercials go so far as to incorporate visual demonstrations on how to use their products...intended, I suppose, for
viewers who don't know how to floss their teeth, scrub their toilet, or haven't figured out where the specific locations are on the
human body that smell the worse. Yuk!
There is also a subcategory of the first category of commercials whose purpose it is to sell a seemingly never-ending supply of
foreign-made products that you probably don't need, but are priced at ONLY $19.99 (get a second one that you probably don't
need at 50% off!)...along with a bunch of ads for walk-in tubs and showers, beds, pillows and sheets. All in all, today's
commercials are a far cry from the days when many were actually fun to watch!
A goal for many artists...regardless of artistic discipline or medium...is to have their accomplishments remembered. I believe
this has less to do with arrogance, and more to do with a desire to be respected as creative individuals. The artists who created
the memorable television commercials included in this SPOTLIGHT can rest easy, for they definitely achieved this goal. In fact,
many of those commercials can still be seen today on YouTube and other media. The reason for their popularity is quite simple.
They're fun to watch!
Unless today's television advertisers make an effort to change, I seriously doubt the same will ever be said for most of the
commercials being made today.
this has less to do with arrogance, and more to do with a desire to be respected as creative individuals. The artists who created
the memorable television commercials included in this SPOTLIGHT can rest easy, for they definitely achieved this goal. In fact,
many of those commercials can still be seen today on YouTube and other media. The reason for their popularity is quite simple.
They're fun to watch!
Unless today's television advertisers make an effort to change, I seriously doubt the same will ever be said for most of the
commercials being made today.
For example...when I was a preteen guy in the late
1960s, commercials for Hot Wheels, Johnny Lightning
and Matchbox cars always caught my eye (I collected,
played with, and still have the ones I bought way back
then). And though I wasn't the least bit interested, I'm
sure that many of the girls my age were attracted to the
ads for the Easy-Bake Oven, Barbie and Betsy Wetsy
dolls, and both the Mystery Date and Dream Date
board games (I guess they couldn't get their fill of
imaginary dates!).
A cornucopia of ads for other fun toys and games
(none of which were made in China at the time)
included Mr. Machine, Slinky, Tonka trucks, Superball,
Monopoly, Play-Doh, Twister, a posable character
named Gumby and his equine pal Pokey, along with
various brands of cool bicycles. While I'm sure that
all those toy commercials inspired countless letters
to Santa, I personally never considered my Sears
Spyder bike with its Banana Seat to be a mere toy.
It was, instead, a symbol of my freedom!
Amusing breakfast cereal commercials included ones
for Fruit Loops (featuring Toucan Sam), Cap'n Crunch
(featuring the captain, of course), Rice Krispies
(featuring Snap, Crackle and Pop), and Golden Crisp
(formerly Sugar Crisp) with the Sugar Bear singing,
Can't get enough of that Sugar Crisp!
I also enjoyed watching that zany Cuckoo bird cry out...
I'm Cuckoo For Cocoa Puffs!...even though I was
never a fan of chocolate flavored cereal for breakfast.
I preferred my chocolate in the form of candy bars...
which included, but was certainly not limited to...
Hershey's, 3 Musketeers, Peppermint Patties, Baby
Ruth and Milky Way. Commercials for those tasty
treats were sure to grab the attention of every girl
and boy...and very likely their parents as well!
Other commercials that haunt my mind in a good way
include ones for automobiles, the majority of which
were made in the USA and could be bought for less
than $10,000...Ajax laundry detergent, with The White
Knight (Stronger than dirt!)...Alka-Seltzer (I Can't
Believe I Ate The Whole Thing!)...and Duncan
Donuts (It's time to make the donuts!). And if you
were around at the time, there's a good chance
that you'll remember Morris, the grumpy, but
extremely likable spokesman...make that spokes-
cat...for 9Lives cat food. Ads featuring that wise-
cracking tabby were so popular, in fact, that there
was a campaign to elect him as the first feline
president! It was just for fun, of course...but Morris
probably would have made a much better president
than some humans!
I also recall a series of memorable commercials
from Kodak which featured the song, Times of Your
Life, performed by Paul Anka...the Polaroid com-
mercials with James Garner and Mariette Hartley,
who seemed so natural together that many people
believed they were actually married...and the GAF
ads featuring Henry Fonda who enunciated the
company name in a most unique and unforgettable
style...Geee Aaaa Ffff. On a personal note, I worked
in the camera department of a large department
store when I was a teenager selling those cameras.
I was young, full of piss and vinegar, and my career
as a professional artist hadn't even begun! Ah!
Those were the days, my friend!
Finally, an extremely memorable 1971 musical
commercial for Coca-Cola (which was also a hit
record) featured hundreds of young people singing,
I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect
Harmony). Idealistic though it may have been, it
was certainly a hell of a lot more entertaining
than watching someone apply body deodorant!
1960s, commercials for Hot Wheels, Johnny Lightning
and Matchbox cars always caught my eye (I collected,
played with, and still have the ones I bought way back
then). And though I wasn't the least bit interested, I'm
sure that many of the girls my age were attracted to the
ads for the Easy-Bake Oven, Barbie and Betsy Wetsy
dolls, and both the Mystery Date and Dream Date
board games (I guess they couldn't get their fill of
imaginary dates!).
A cornucopia of ads for other fun toys and games
(none of which were made in China at the time)
included Mr. Machine, Slinky, Tonka trucks, Superball,
Monopoly, Play-Doh, Twister, a posable character
named Gumby and his equine pal Pokey, along with
various brands of cool bicycles. While I'm sure that
all those toy commercials inspired countless letters
to Santa, I personally never considered my Sears
Spyder bike with its Banana Seat to be a mere toy.
It was, instead, a symbol of my freedom!
Amusing breakfast cereal commercials included ones
for Fruit Loops (featuring Toucan Sam), Cap'n Crunch
(featuring the captain, of course), Rice Krispies
(featuring Snap, Crackle and Pop), and Golden Crisp
(formerly Sugar Crisp) with the Sugar Bear singing,
Can't get enough of that Sugar Crisp!
I also enjoyed watching that zany Cuckoo bird cry out...
I'm Cuckoo For Cocoa Puffs!...even though I was
never a fan of chocolate flavored cereal for breakfast.
I preferred my chocolate in the form of candy bars...
which included, but was certainly not limited to...
Hershey's, 3 Musketeers, Peppermint Patties, Baby
Ruth and Milky Way. Commercials for those tasty
treats were sure to grab the attention of every girl
and boy...and very likely their parents as well!
Other commercials that haunt my mind in a good way
include ones for automobiles, the majority of which
were made in the USA and could be bought for less
than $10,000...Ajax laundry detergent, with The White
Knight (Stronger than dirt!)...Alka-Seltzer (I Can't
Believe I Ate The Whole Thing!)...and Duncan
Donuts (It's time to make the donuts!). And if you
were around at the time, there's a good chance
that you'll remember Morris, the grumpy, but
extremely likable spokesman...make that spokes-
cat...for 9Lives cat food. Ads featuring that wise-
cracking tabby were so popular, in fact, that there
was a campaign to elect him as the first feline
president! It was just for fun, of course...but Morris
probably would have made a much better president
than some humans!
I also recall a series of memorable commercials
from Kodak which featured the song, Times of Your
Life, performed by Paul Anka...the Polaroid com-
mercials with James Garner and Mariette Hartley,
who seemed so natural together that many people
believed they were actually married...and the GAF
ads featuring Henry Fonda who enunciated the
company name in a most unique and unforgettable
style...Geee Aaaa Ffff. On a personal note, I worked
in the camera department of a large department
store when I was a teenager selling those cameras.
I was young, full of piss and vinegar, and my career
as a professional artist hadn't even begun! Ah!
Those were the days, my friend!
Finally, an extremely memorable 1971 musical
commercial for Coca-Cola (which was also a hit
record) featured hundreds of young people singing,
I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect
Harmony). Idealistic though it may have been, it
was certainly a hell of a lot more entertaining
than watching someone apply body deodorant!