Blast from the Past: Classic 70s Commercials!

When I decided years ago to make Blast from the Past a regular weekly feature, what I didn't think about was the level of difficulty. Not only can the research be a chore, but so is the process of putting them into a post. Blogger--the software I use to build the blog--is notoriously bad at handling repeated cutting and pasting. It just eats the videos, or sometimes repeats them. It's frustrating.

By now though, I've got quite a backlog of this feature. So this week I decided to go with a rerun. Which is okay, because on any given day I've got a different audience anyway! And this one is chock full of nostalgia. Just go with it, I'm tired.

1. Calgon - Ancient Chinese secret, huh?
2. Pringles "New Fangled" Potato Chips - Did you forget they came in a paper sleeve? Now, they just let them crumble in the package.
3. Slinky - Every kid had one. Every kid got tired of them in about 10 minutes. Every kid eventually tangled them up.
4. Gnip Gnop - Somebody was stoned when they came up with the name.
5. Count Chocula and Frankenberry Cereal - Gayest. Cartoon characters. Ever. Ok, yeah, there was Snagglepuss.
6. Coca-Cola - "I'd like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony. . ." Dirty hippies!
7. Burger King - I couldn't find the "Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce. . ." one, but this'll do nicely.
8. Ultra Brite - The late, lovely Farrah Fawcett in one of her earliest TV spots.

Blast from the Past: Classic Commercials #2

OK, time for some fun again. Children of the 70s (and more than a few adults) will probably get a chuckle or two and a wistful memory from all of the commercials in this batch of buried memories.

First up: A Pepsi commercial from the early 70s that introduced the concept of the "Pepsi Generation." Sing along! "We're the Pepsi people, feelin' free, feelin' free. . ."

Second: Rival cola maker Coca-cola made big waves (and sales) with this very early 70s commercial, featuring the Hillside Singers. "I'd like to buy the world a Coke. . ."

Third: Brilliant marketing strategy: get your buyers to sing the contents of your sandwich. This McDonald's commercial taught us, "Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun!" A later commercial challenged you to sing it backwards.

And last, the introduction of reconstituted, dehydrated potato-chip-like snack food, Pringles "Newfangled" Potato Chips. Check out the costumes, hair and sound effects. I do not remember the 70s this way!