# Airing old TV commercials **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 26, 2011, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252 "2011-05-26T03:54:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252/1 "2011-05-26T03:54:51Z")
It seems the life of a commercial is pretty short. What are some of the older commercials that aired quite a while after the first airing … maybe a particularly long run or perhaps a commercial that aired at one time and then came back again later? Has a company ever resurrected a vintage commercial and just re-run it for a new audience? I think it would be a hoot to see Mr. Whipple asking people not to squeeze the Charmin again. I think last year I saw this [Corona Christmas commercial](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xSrXpYGXCg) apparently originally airing in 2000 … that’s 11 years! ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252/2 "2011-05-26T03:59:28Z")
I think that I saw the Tootsie Pop “How many licks does it take to get to the center?” commercial just a few years ago. And it seems like Norelco may have either resurrected or remade one of their electric shaver holiday ads in the fairly recent past. I’m sure there are others… ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252/3 "2011-05-26T04:33:36Z")
> [@Lacunae\_Matata](#): > > … And it seems like Norelco may have either resurrected or remade one of their electric shaver holiday ads in the fairly recent past… Seconded: “The “Norelco Santa” commercials, which were the beginning of creative animation starting in the 1960’s, were top of the line in the industry at that time and are still in use today, but not by Philips for their shavers.” [Wiki cite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norelco). ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252/4 "2011-05-26T04:52:55Z")
When I went to an AMC Theater in 2004, they played the “I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing” Coca-Cola commercial from the early 70s right before the feature started. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252/5 "2011-05-26T05:00:57Z")
Coca Cola got quite a bit of traction out of [_I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib-Qiyklq-Q), as I recall. (It seems to me that it ran for about ten years without interruption, before its revival(s).) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252/6 "2011-05-26T06:02:29Z")
> [@Lacunae\_Matata](#): > > I think that I saw the Tootsie Pop “How many licks does it take to get to the center?” commercial just a few years ago. And it seems like Norelco may have either resurrected or remade one of their electric shaver holiday ads in the fairly recent past. > > I’m sure there are others… They still run the Tootsie Pop commercial. I know I saw it as recently as last week. It may run more often, but I’m the type who skips past commercials. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252/7 "2011-05-26T06:09:57Z")
These are the two I always see that make me think “Man, I can’t believe they’re still airing this commercial.” [Campbell Soup Snowman from early 90’s?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PdeGx1obvc) [Sears Air Conditioning also from the 90’s](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rqZZgVxnCk) I can still say “Another scorcher” and people know exactly what I’m talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252/8 "2011-05-26T06:51:58Z")
The [“Mikey Likes It”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34wJt3pRY0w) commercial for Life Cereal first aired in 1971. It ran for years, and they introduced a slightly revised version in 1978 when they came out with Cinnamon Life. Some time later they came out with an [updated version of the commercial](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta_x_e0bjjc) with the same actor playing Uncle Mikey. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252/9 "2011-05-26T13:18:28Z")
[That old car is worth money!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH95UTtbmr8) This commercial has been running more or less continuously in Chicago since 1985. Love that dude’s watch. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252/10 "2011-05-26T13:18:42Z")
Hershey’s has been running the “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” ad with the Kisses being rung like bells for many years. ---
**Author:** ![johnspartan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@johnspartan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnspartan)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252/11 "2011-05-26T13:21:57Z")
Don’t they still run the Christmas Fruity Pebbles one w/ Santa, Fred & Barney? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ubBTsAoVlbI/hqdefault.jpg "Fruity Pebbles Christmas Commercial from 1987") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubBTsAoVlbI) This clip sez it’s from 1987. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252/12 "2011-05-26T13:44:55Z")
“Thank you, Easter Bunny! Bawk-Bawk!” ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252/13 "2011-05-26T14:37:18Z")
I remember them re-running the Oscar Meyer “my bologna has a first name” kid commercial which originally aired in 73’ either in the late 90s or early 2000s. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252/14 "2011-05-26T16:39:50Z")
> [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](#): > > …"The “Norelco Santa” commercials, … wasn’t that spelled “Noëlco” ? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252/15 "2011-05-26T16:53:34Z")
A couple years ago Kellogg’s Raisin Bran resurrected the lumberjack commercial they used in the 80s, only editing the boxes to match the then-current design, rather than the one from the 80s. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252/16 "2011-05-26T17:12:43Z")
Miller has been running [this ad](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuP0KP2oPZ0) at Christmas for decades (since 1977, if the tag on this YouTube clip can be believed). ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252/17 "2011-05-26T17:40:49Z")
I seem to remember that a couple of companies aired some of their vintage commercials as a gimmick during an episode of “That '70s Show” some years back. Also Discount Tire Company had a commercial back in the '80s that featured an old lady throwing her tire through their storefront window. It disappeared, but then started airing again a few years ago. Here it is: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/3QjTIm-vSKg/hqdefault.jpg "Discount Tire Little Old Lady") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QjTIm-vSKg) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252/18 "2011-05-26T20:34:19Z")
Andre ran a holiday commercial for either champagne or cold duck for years. It did have a timeless quality until you looked closely and realized the man in the commercial was wearing a suit that came from the Kennedy administration. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252/19 "2011-05-26T20:57:21Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > Coca Cola got quite a bit of traction out of [_I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib-Qiyklq-Q), as I recall. (It seems to me that it ran for about ten years without interruption, before its revival(s).) Another Coke commercial that had legs was the one with Mean Joe Green and the Kid–kid is watching a tired and battered Green walk to the dressing room, offers up his Coke, hero worship just dripping from the kid’s eyes. Green chugs the Coke, kid turns to leave, Green gives the kid his jersey. Think it got parodied on Saturday Night Live with a Sumo Wrestler (and thong!) replacing Green and Jersey–and think there was some sort of riff on it not terribly long ago…maybe a Super Bowl Commercial in a similar style? ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252/20 "2011-05-26T21:30:39Z")
Budweiser also has a Christmas ad that’s been running forever. It’s the one with the Clydesdales running through snow. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airing-old-tv-commercials/583252.md?page=2)