Flashback Friday - Brought to You by. . . .

Sports fans are gearing up for this Sunday's Super Bowl, and even those folks who have no interest in the outcome of the game often like to keep an eye on the big event because of the commercials. In fact, CNN Money reports that half of the viewers turn on the television just to watch the commercials. Commercials have become big business on the Super Bowl, with a 30-second spot selling for $3 million this year. Big spenders such as Coca-Cola will have two 60-second commercials.

But as impressive as today's ads are with all of their computer-generated special effects, some can't hold a candle to the commercials of our childhood. Of course, there were some flubs back then as well!

What commercials and advertisements--either TV/radio, magazine/newspaper, or even billboards (Burma Shave, anyone?!)--do you associate with growing up? Did you watch TV for the ads or for the programs? Can you still remember any of the songs, words or slogans from those ads? What were your favorites and least favorites? Were your parents influenced by ads when they bought things? Did you try to convince your parents to buy something as the result of a commercial? What is something you bought or did as a result of an advertisement that you later regretted (either as a child or an adult)? Feel free to share words, videos, or pictures of any ads!

I don't recall my parents ever being influenced by particular commercials when I was growing up, but I certainly was. I don't think I'll ever forget this one when I had not been shaving my legs long and my mom bought me one of the new Flicker razors that came out that had five blades in it. I had seen one of these ads on TV and I was the typical "wise" (ahem!) thirteen-year-old, so I knew exactly how to use it.



I didn't realize that you only turned to the next blade when the old blade became dull. I thought the blades varied and you chose the one you liked. So when I nicked myself with the first one, I turned to the second blade. . . then the third, and the fourth, and the fifth. When none of them were better, I tried to go back to the first one, only to discover that once you turned it, there was no going back. My mom was not amused to discover I had wasted 80% of that razor the first time I used it!

The other horrifying yet funny "as seen on TV" memory was fortunately not my fault, although I witnessed it. Did any of your dads or husbands--or if you're a guy, did you--ever wear Vitalis? My dad did, and so did my maternal grandfather, who was a lawyer. One time when we went to the small town where they lived, he took us to see his office for some reason. He apparently kept some toiletries in his office bathroom to freshen up before court cases, and among them was Vitalis. At that time the Vitalis TV commercials were touting the "NEW! Unbreakable Plastic Bottle!" and the man in the commercial would drop the bottle on the bathroom floor to prove its sturdiness. We were in my granddad's office and my uncle came in with the Vitalis bottle and said "Look, it's the new unbreakable bottle!" and dropped it on the floor. . . .and it broke and Vitalis went everywhere! That was one time I was sooo glad a grown-up and not a kid had done it! And it was a big lesson in not believing everything that was claimed on TV!

Around 1969, I remember our family hurrying home from Sunday night church in time to watch Mission: Impossible! which came on at 9:00 pm. We weren't that interested in the show, but there was a particular Buick commercial that generally played during the program that we wanted to see. My brother was a freshman at UT and worked as a student assistant to the basketball coach. In the ad, the coach was driving a Buick around campus showing the university to a potential recruit, played by my brother. I know my brother didn't speak in the commercial, and I'm not sure the coach did; it just showed him driving and pointing out landmarks such as the UT Tower, stadium, etc. It was absolutely the coolest thing to see my brother in an ad on TV! The ad aired some other times as well - during a couple of the Texas basketball games and maybe some other occasions. But those were more random and we didn't generally know about them ahead of time. But the MI sponsorship was a regular thing and we watched for it faithfully!

My family has always said that when I was really little, I always came running into the living room when commercials came on and then went back to play when the program resumed. I don't remember that, but I do remember enjoying lots of commercials and always being able to sing along with the jingles. Let's see if you can fill in the blanks or name of the products advertised here!

1. (song) You can trust your car to the man who wears the star, the big white ________ star!"
2. (song)__________ tastes good like a (bom bom) cigarette should. (Yes, they used to sell cigarettes on TV; they were banned beginning January 2, 1971.) (So why could I immediately remember a jingle I haven't heard in 40 years?!)
3. "Madge! You're soaking my hands in dishwashing detergent?!" "Relax, dear. It's _______."
4. (song) Girls are nice but oh, what icing goes on _________
5. (song) Oh I wish I were an _______ _______ _________, That is what I'd truly like to be, 'Cause if I were an ________ _______ _________, Everyone would be in love with me!
6. Put a tiger in your tank.
7. Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman.
8. Does she, or doesn't she?
9. If you don't have an oil well, get one! You'll love doing business with _______. (That one may have mostly been in Texas.)
10. (song) My bologna has a first name, it's _______, my bologna has a second name, it's _______, Oh I'd love to eat it every day, and if you ask me why, I'll say, cause _______ _______ has a way with b-o-l-o-g-n-a.
11. (sung by Connie Stevens) ________ is the place with the helpful hardware man.
12. (song) Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, extra orders don't upset us, all we ask is that you let us, serve it your way, Have it your way at ________ _________.
13. I never understood why Mrs. Olsen always had her grocery sack when she was at someone else's house, but she did, and she always pulled out the product and said, "Try _______. It's mountain-grown for richer flavor."
14. Fill it to the rim with ________
15. Two all beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onions on a sesame seed bun
16. (song) We love baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and __________
17. (deep voice) Ho-Ho-Ho (sung in normal voice) _______ _________
18. (song) If it says ______ ________ _______ on the label label label, you will like it like it like it on your table table table.
19. (thunder boom and flash of lightning) Then a woman in a long billowy dress with her hands on her hips sternly said, "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature" followed by off-camera singing: If you think it's butter, but it's not, it's _________
20. But Charlie! ________ doesn't want tuna with good taste! ________ wants tuna that taste good! and Sorry, Charlie, only the best-tasting tuna gets to be _________
21. (song) I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony, I'd like to buy the world a _______ and keep it company.
22. He likes it! Mikey likes it!
23. I'd rather fight than switch!
24. Man gets his face slapped on both sides, then says: "Thanks! I needed that!"
25. Where's the beef?! (One of my all-time favorites!)
26. Choosy mothers choose _______.
27. "I can't believe I ate the whole thing." "You ate it, Ralph." Also, the song, Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is.
28. (song) There's a fragrance that's here today and they call it ________.
29. (song)____ _______ makes Chinese food--swing, American!
30. (song) Saute and simmer, the flavor can't be beat! ______-_-______, the San Francisco treat!
31. (song) Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you don't. ______ ____ has nuts. ________ don't.
32. Nervous is why you need _____ _ _____
33. _____ ______ - The Sex Appeal Toothpaste
34. Come to ___________ Country
35. Brush your breath, brush your breath, brush your breath with ________.

BONUS QUESTIONS:

1. What well-known football player wore a pair of pantyhose in a commercial to advertise how good anyone's legs look wearing them? Extra points if you can name the brand of pantyhose!
2. What two country stars advertised Breeze laundry detergents that came with a towel in every box?
3. What football player was in the famous Coke commercial where he tossed his sweaty football jersey to a little boy who insisted on giving the player his Coke after the game?
4. What iconic actress got her start making commercials in the early '70s for Breck Shampoos, UltraBrite Toothpaste, Noxzema Men's Shave, and Mercury Cougar?

Okay, here are the answers:

1. Texaco (Jack Benny then Bob Hope did these)
2. Winston
3. Palmolive
4. Oreos
5. Oscar Mayer

6. Esso/Humble/Exxon (I don't remember Esso, but I do remember when Exxon was Humble. I also remember when Diamond Shamrock was Sinclair, with the dinosaur logo.
7. Secret Deodorant
8. Clairol
9. Western
10. Oscar Mayer
11. Ace
12. Burger King
13. Folgers
14. Brim< (decaffeinated coffee)/li>
    
15. McDonald's Big Mac
16. Chevrolet
17. Green Giant
18. Libby's
19. Chiffon (margarine)
20. Starkist
21. Coke
22. Life Cereal
23. Tareyton Cigarettes
24. Skin Bracer (men's aftershave
25. Wendy's
26. Jif
27. Alka-Seltzer
28. Charlie (by Revlon)
29. La Choy
30. Rice-a-Roni
31. Almond Joy, Mounds
32. Soft 'n Dri (Deodorant)
33. Ultra Brite (toothpaste)
34. Marlboro (cigarettes)
35. Dentyne (chewing gum)

BONUS ANSWERS:

1. Joe Namath for Beautymist Pantyhose
2. Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton
3. Mean Joe Green
4. Farrah Fawcett

Okay, that is way more than enough. Once I got going, I couldn't stop. It is ridiculous how many of those I could remember without even cheating and looking on YouTube! It just shows how easily things get imprinted in our brains! Here's a darling new ad; if you've ever had a little boy in your life, this will make you smile! Share your memories of fun commercials and link up here!

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