# Oldest ad still being used? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 5, 2006, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525 "2006-09-05T17:10:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/21 "2006-09-06T01:57:38Z")
This [Aqua Di Gio](http://perso.orange.fr/imagesdeparfums/Armani/TN_acquadigio8.JPG) ad is from a pic taken by [Herb Ritts](http://www.herbritts.com/images/) in 1997. It’s still in magazines all the time, much to my delight because that guy is hot and the cologne smells really good. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/22 "2006-09-06T02:04:22Z")
I remember seeing that Oil of Olay commercial with Virginia (“Miss Fitzhenry?”) Hey over quite a few years and it was Australian so it likely ran there for a while too. Virginia’s hot. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/23 "2006-09-06T02:44:21Z")
[QUOTE=John DiFool] Slight thread deflection: why do I often see (on a cable channel like USA or Speed) an ad come on, then it is immediately pre-empted by another ad? Wouldn’t that violate the contracts mentioned above? [/QUOTE] I don’t know, but I’d like to add that I’m also curious about this. When I lived in Fort Riley, Kansas, this was probably the norm rather than a once and awhile thing, and they (Charter Cable) went crazy pre-empting commercials. A lot of the time they would screw up and have the audio from one commercial playing over the video of a completely different one. Hilariously often, it would be the sound of a commercial for Charter itself playing over the video for Directv or Dish Network or something. I say hilarious but they probably did it on purpose. Is it not breaking the contract if you ‘air’ the commercial, but run the audio for a Charter ad on top of it? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/24 "2006-09-06T03:06:09Z")
[QUOTE=John DiFool] Slight thread deflection: why do I often see (on a cable channel like USA or Speed) an ad come on, then it is immediately pre-empted by another ad? Wouldn’t that violate the contracts mentioned above? [/QUOTE] If the original ad is on a broadcast station that is included in the cable package according to the contract with the local community, the cable company may have no business relationship with the advertiser. In that case, it might be that the cable company has the right to sell their own time for that slot, but does not have the technical competence to make it a seamless overlay. This is a WAG. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/25 "2006-09-06T04:46:31Z")
[QUOTE=Enola Straight] An earlier thread on this subject. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=195920&highlight=take+the+wheel+of+your+automobile](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=195920&highlight=take+the+wheel+of+your+automobile) [/QUOTE] In this link I posted and ad for IDEAL. Here’s a website with the jingle! [http://mcnally.cc/ideal.htm](http://mcnally.cc/ideal.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/26 "2006-09-06T07:15:25Z")
Excerpts from the (1950s?) Aeroplane Jelly and Vegemite advertisements still show up on Australian television. ---
**Author:** ![MizGrand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cdc98d/32.png) [@MizGrand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizGrand)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/27 "2006-09-06T11:32:50Z")
This is really interesting. Thanks **ivylass**! Talk some more… ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/28 "2006-09-06T11:48:42Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] The client might send a :30 version and a :15 version, but unless there are :30 and :15 spots scheduled, we can only air the commercial that matches the length of the spot booked. Do you want me to get into bookends and piggybacks? 😉 [/QUOTE] So what’s the deal when two different 10-or-15 second spots for the same product air back-to-back in the same commercial break, as I have been seeing for at least 15 years? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/29 "2006-09-06T12:04:02Z")
[QUOTE=scotandrsn] So what’s the deal when two different 10-or-15 second spots for the same product air back-to-back in the same commercial break, as I have been seeing for at least 15 years? [/QUOTE] Those are piggybacks. Sometimes they’re sent separately, sometimes the client edits them into one :30 spot. I don’t mean to hijack the thread…keep talking about oldest commercials! **John DiFool** , what you’re seeing is a local cable commercial. The cable outlets (USA, TNT, TBS, ESPN, etc) set aside a certain amount of time each hour for the local cable outlets (Comcast, Adelphia, Brighthouse, DishTV) to air local commercials. Joe’s Auto Shop, for instance, can’t afford to run in a national show, but they can have their commercial aired during the local break. What you’re seeing is a lag time between the cable network and the outlet. The cable network sends a tone (called a cue tone) that is supposed to trigger the local cable outlet that it is time to Insert Local Commercial Here. After the time (usually a minute, but it varies) another tone is sent down that says Okay, Come Back to Our Show Now. If the cable outlet isn’t in sync with the cue tones, you’ll see a bit of the commercial the cable network airs in their local break, in case the cable outlet chooses not to use it for local businesses. After all, you can’t sit in black hoping every single cable outlet that your network runs on will use the local time. The advertisers that run in the local breaks on cable networks know their commercials may be covered up by the cable outlets. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/30 "2006-09-06T14:43:20Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] Those are piggybacks. Sometimes they’re sent separately, sometimes the client edits them into one :30 spot. I don’t mean to hijack the thread…keep talking about oldest commercials! [/QUOTE] No, feel free to answer the questions. You have lots of interesting info to share. ---
**Author:** ![Kitchen\_Wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@Kitchen\_Wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kitchen_Wench)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/31 "2006-09-06T15:44:26Z")
[QUOTE=BubbaDog] Report from KC - that commercial with minor changes still airs. [/QUOTE] “Does your home need a little repair?” “KAW!!!” \ “For better living now, and better values later… Call STANDARD! ::bum ba bum ba bum:: IMPROVEMENT COMP-NY” “At Westport, 1- 7 100” I’ve been singing along to this commercial since I was a little girl. I still find it rather charming. Here it is, for your entertainment. > **[StandardImprovement.com is for sale | HugeDomains](https://www.hugedomains.com/domain_profile.cfm?d=standardimprovement.com)** > > Choose a memorable domain name. Professional, friendly customer support. Start using your domain right away. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/32 "2006-09-06T17:15:16Z")
[QUOTE=Ethilrist] Only two licks, then? [/QUOTE] Funny. No, as it now airs, it ends just after the owl hands the kid back the lollypop stick and the kid looks at the camera with a mildly disgusted expression. As I remember the original ad, there was a voiceover announcement and a closeup of the Tootsie Pop. Or am I misremembering it? ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/33 "2006-09-06T18:11:37Z")
Thats the way I remember it too. It ends with a close up of a wrapped tootsie pop, and the wrapper floats up off of the sucker as the voice over says “the world may never know.” ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/34 "2006-09-06T18:14:50Z")
And I think the candy shell gets cracked in half as if some invisible person has bitten it. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/35 "2006-09-06T18:23:28Z")
Chicago dopers will know this one. There’s a commercial for an auto salvage company that’s been running unchanged for at least 17 years (that’s how long I’ve been here. I assume it’s even longer) with the same footage of a guy hesitantly opening the door of his 70’s Dodge or whatever, having the door fall off, then cutting to a tow truck driver handing him a stack of twenties. I often wonder if the bad actor playing the driver is still even alive. ---
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/36 "2006-09-06T19:04:27Z")
There’s a commercial from the National Arbor Day Foundation that has been airing since I was a kid. It’s got a cardinal (the bird) in a top hat singing a song about trees. Damnit, now the song is stuck in my head. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/37 "2006-09-06T19:51:02Z")
In looking for the history of commercial campaigns I ran across this morbid bit of trivia: The first “Mr. Clean” was murdered in 1964. His name was Antonio Provenzano and he never got around to telling Proctor and Gamble that his other job was bodyguard for Carlo Gambino. For various reasons it seems Mr. Gambino had Provenzano rubbed out. How about that. . .The first Mr. Clean was dirty! ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/38 "2006-09-06T20:10:00Z")
[QUOTE=elmwood] BTW, do Canadian television stations still air that Cottonelle toilet tissue commercial where white kittens drag toilet paper throughout the mostly white interior of a foo-foo house? That commercial ran through the 1970s and 1980s. [/QUOTE] No. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/39 "2006-09-06T20:21:58Z")
[QUOTE=photopat] Chicago dopers will know this one. There’s a commercial for an auto salvage company that’s been running unchanged for at least 17 years (that’s how long I’ve been here. I assume it’s even longer) with the same footage of a guy hesitantly opening the door of his 70’s Dodge or whatever, having the door fall off, then cutting to a tow truck driver handing him a stack of twenties. I often wonder if the bad actor playing the driver is still even alive. [/QUOTE] Victory Auto Wreckers. According to the [Wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_Auto_Wreckers), it has run since 81 and the actor was alive and well in 05. I seem to recall a print reference in the Trib more recently than that. The wiki links ot a Quicktime vid. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/40 "2006-09-06T21:01:39Z")
[QUOTE=Doug Bowe] In looking for the history of commercial campaigns I ran across this morbid bit of trivia: The first “Mr. Clean” was murdered in 1964. His name was Antonio Provenzano and he never got around to telling Proctor and Gamble that his other job was bodyguard for Carlo Gambino. For various reasons it seems Mr. Gambino had Provenzano rubbed out. [/QUOTE] I found 2 vectors for this story, but nothing that smells remotely of cite. I doubt it for several reasons: - The name is similar to Anthony Provenzano, boss of the Genovese mob. “Tony Pro” is famous as one of the 2 people to meet with Jimmy Hoffa at the latter’s fateful Michigan lunch date. - There are already too many “famous person was product spokesman” and/or “product spokesman suffers oogy fate” stories. It just falls in line with a well traveled path in legendry. - If Papa Gambino truly valued Antonio’s services as bodyguard, why would he let him out of his sight for long enough to make TV commercials? Still [snopes.com](http://snopes.com) and alt.folklore.urban haven’t touched it…and maybe they know better than to try. :dubious: Don’t want nobody should get hurt or nuttin’, _capeesh?_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525.md?page=3)