# Earliest TV commercial you remember verbatim **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** commercials-ads\ **Created:** [May 25, 2021, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917 "2021-05-25T21:42:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917/62 "2021-05-28T00:55:37Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Ha, don’t know. I know I didn’t watch boxing matches as a kid, and neither did my parents My grandfather did, religiously. I may have seen the Dr. Ross spots elsewhere in the same era (mid 1950’s). ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917/63 "2021-05-28T01:16:11Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > My grandfather did, religiously. I may have seen the Dr. Ross spots elsewhere in the same era (mid 1950’s). Yeah, same time frame for me. I know it’s one of the very earliest ads I remember. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917/64 "2021-05-28T01:58:18Z")
Can’t find a clip for this one: The first ad (B&W) for Pop-Tarts, ca. 1965. A peddler pushes his fruit and veg cart through what looks like the streets of old New York crying “STRAW-ber-RIES! BLUE-ber-IES! CHE-ee-EE-EE-EE-ries!” Another one from the '60s, for Chef-Boy-Ar-Dee canned pasta: A horde of children rushes through the streets of what looks like an Italian town to have lunch at tables set up in a courtyard, all to the tune of “Oranges and Lemons.” I always wondered who the hell these children were (orphans at a childrens’ home?) and why there was no place I could eat pasta for free near where I lived. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917/65 "2021-05-28T02:39:20Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Another one from the '60s, for Chef-Boy-Ar-Dee canned pasta: A horde of children rushes through the streets of what looks like an Italian town to have lunch at tables set up in a courtyard, all to the tune of “Oranges and Lemons.” I recall the children running through an Italian town for Chef Boy-Ar-Dee canned pasta, but I don’t recall “Oranges and Lemons.” Instead, it was a children’s chorus singing: _We’re having Beefaroni!_ _Beef and macaroni!_ _Beefaroni’s really neat!_ _Beefaroni’s fun to eat!_ _Beefaroni, what a treat,_ _Hooray!_ _For Beefaroni!_ I may have some words wrong or out of their proper order, but I’m going on long-ago memory. Close enough anyway, I’d suggest. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917/66 "2021-05-28T02:48:08Z")
Yeah, I think that one is on YouTube. In the one with “Oranges and Lemons,” the last part of the rhyme was “For you and for me, from Chef Boy-Ar-Dee!” I don’t remember what the pasta was—Beefaroni or spaghetti with meatballs (or maybe ravioli). ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917/67 "2021-05-28T19:10:26Z")
Found this: [Dr. Ross' Dog Food Is Dog Gone Good! (1950's commercial) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQoalfbT2W0&t=41s) It apparently predates the animated version, and I’m not sure if the audio is the same because I think I remember the second line in the animation (“…more meat…more flavor”) was in a higher pitched cartoony voice. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917/68 "2021-05-28T19:32:46Z")
I don’t remember that one at all! I do remember the animation (and the Scotty dog) really clearly. ---
**Author:** ![chaika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chaika/32/405_2.png) [@chaika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaika)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917/69 "2021-05-28T19:33:09Z")
C and H (C and H) pure cane sugar (pure cane sugar) from Hawaii (sweet Hawaii) grown in the sun (grown in the sun). When you cook, when you bake for goodness sake get C and H pure cane sugar C and H pure cane sugar that’s the one. There were other commercials with slight variations to the lyrics, but this is the one I remember best. Also: Franz Bread, the good bread, flavor beyond compare. Probably very few people remember that one, since it was a fairly local product. A couple of years ago I visited my home town with a relative who also hadn’t lived there in years. We saw a Franz Bread truck and spontaneously burst into song. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917/70 "2021-05-28T20:14:28Z")
> [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](#): > > Meow meow meow meow > Meow meow meow meow > meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow > > …there’s more, but I don’t want to violate copyright… I want tuna, I want liver, I want chicken, please deliver! > [@JKellyMap](#): > > Sometimes you feel like a nut, > Sometimes you don’t! Almond Joy’s got real milk chocolate (yeah, yeah, yeah), Coconut and munchy nuts too! Mounds got deep dark chocolate and chewy coconut! Ooh! I can’t remember the entire thing, but: We start out with an English muffin, Then add cheese and egg and something Really good! Canadian bacon! Yes, that’s how we go about making Breakfast! McDonald’s breakfast! [I forgot the next couple of lines] We do it all for you! ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917/71 "2021-05-30T01:39:39Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > I don’t remember that one at all! I do remember the animation (and the Scotty dog) really clearly. Same here, I only remember the animated commercial. My _very_ vague memories are of a (cartoon) woman who possibly resembled Nancy’s Aunt Fritzi, and a generic smallish dog singing the second line ( no possibly standing upright human style facing us). I also have no recollection of the can we see in the YouTube video. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917/72 "2021-05-30T03:20:12Z")
C & H, Armour hot dogs, Calgon, yes, I recall all those from my early days of TV viewing. The one I always come back to, while not the _earliest_ one I can remember, these lyrics have stuck with me for over 40 years … (Sung) “Good grief, it’s fun to brush your teeth With your Snoopy toothbrush! “Brushing right makes your smile bright With your Snoopy toothbrush.” (Spoken) “Snoopy makes it fun to brush your teeth!” (Sung) “Good grief …” ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917/73 "2021-05-30T12:02:45Z")
"You’ll wonder where the yellow went, when you brush your teeth with [Pepsodent](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FpF-DU0Iew). Our popular version was: “You’ll wonder where your teeth all went, when you brush your teeth with wet cement”. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917/74 "2021-05-30T17:12:44Z")
About the earliest ad I can recall almost verbatim was for Rheingold beer, which sponsored Mets games. _My beer is Rheingold, the dry beer_ _I drink Rheingold whenever I buy beer_ _Rheingold’s taste’s not too sweet_ _Smells like old stinky feet_ _Pabst and Schlitz can’t compete_ _With my beer_! Well, maybe not entirely verbatim. I can still recite all the lyrics of the “Don’t Cross The Street In The Middle Of The Block” PSA. As I recall, the original was animated. This version might’ve been more effective, although possibly nightmare-inducing. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/rFXOJmMlZuU/maxresdefault.jpg "Don't Cross the Street in the Middle of the Block") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFXOJmMlZuU) ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917/75 "2021-05-30T17:30:58Z")
> [@Mark\_Finn](#): > > "You’ll wonder where the yellow went, when you brush your teeth with [Pepsodent](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FpF-DU0Iew). This just reminded me of Bucky Beaver shilling Ipana Toothpaste. My spotty memory is “Brusha brusha brusha (?) with the new Ipana.” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917/76 "2021-05-30T18:13:56Z")
The version I remember (ca. 1959) is _You’ll wonder where the yellow went_ _when you flush your brand new toilet!_ ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917/77 "2021-05-31T10:48:57Z")
the Oscar Meyer bologna commercial … ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917/78 "2021-05-31T12:37:07Z")
I’m just old enough to remember cigarette commercials on TV. “You can take Salem out of the country, but–you can’t take the country out of Salem!” “To a cowboy, it’s the way he went, to a smoker, it’s a Kent!” “A silly millimeter longer, 101…” Also a bunch of Alka-Seltzer commercials. “Mama mia, that’s a spicy meatball!” “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!” Blanche the manicurist for some dishwashing detergent: “You’re soaking in it!” ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917/79 "2021-05-31T15:22:59Z")
That must be the real reason he hit Pat Patterson with a water pitcher. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917/80 "2021-05-31T15:32:33Z")
[Violent Bread Commercials](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG9witVaiYw) A local commercial for Kern’s Bread, using early Jim Henson proto-muppets: Big guy: Everybody likes Kern’s Bread! Little guy, shaped somewhat like Bert: Not everybody! Something bad would follow, like a foot stomping him, or a hand coming on screen and grabbing him. Big guy: Now everybody likes Kerns Bread! ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917/81 "2021-05-31T16:20:06Z")
These were always my favorite Alka-Seltzer commercials: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2DkCfLIZAkI/hqdefault.jpg "Alka Seltzer Classic TV Commercial (1960)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DkCfLIZAkI) https://www.youtube.com/embed/gqQvWEpFhuc?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=RD2DkCfLIZAkI One commercial I can’t find on YouTube was also ca. 1966: the Buick Opel in a tug-of-war with a real baby elephant, set to the music of Henri Mancini. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/b1z4JfxFb6c/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGEUgSChyMA8=&rs=AOn4CLAI0iRolPQjndGs7rdbjc6inR_TDQ "Henry Mancini - Baby Elephant Walk") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1z4JfxFb6c) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-tv-commercial-you-remember-verbatim/942917.md?page=5)