# 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:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**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, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/41 "2006-09-06T21:16:42Z")
Another thing: I got a whole bunch of hits for actor [House Peters Jr.](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0676310/bio) as the original Mr. C. ---
**Author:** ![StinkyBurrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@StinkyBurrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StinkyBurrito)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/42 "2006-09-06T21:19:16Z")
There is a commercial in the Cleveland area that urges you to dial ‘GARFIELD1-2323’ for new carpet. I wouldn’t even know how to go about doing that. Where is the ‘GARFIELD’ button on my cell phone? ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/43 "2006-09-06T21:23:46Z")
[QUOTE=elmwood] When I lived in Kansas City a few years ago, unaltered retro ads were not uncommon on local television. A 1950s-era Hy-Vee grocery store commercial frequently aired intact. Also airing was a black-and-white 1960s-era commercial for a home improvement contractor, complete with animation typical of the era, and a jingle that included an old-fashioned six-digit phone number, like Delaware-3500 or Hudson-5421. (A new phone number was overlaid on the screen when the jingle gave the old number.) [/QUOTE] A Kansas City tradition which is still running. "Does your HOME need a little repair? (cue crude animation of bird landing on a roof top and the house collapsing underneath it) Bird: Caw! Caw! Call Standard! (bum bum bum-ba-bum) Im-provement company! At Westport-1-7100!" I can type it all from memory…IIRC the commercial dates from the late 1960’s. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/44 "2006-09-06T21:25:40Z")
[QUOTE=Una Persson] A Kansas City tradition which is still running. (snip) I can type it all from memory…IIRC the commercial dates from the late 1960’s. [/QUOTE] …would have been better if I had read the freaking thread and seen that **Kitchen Wench** beat me to it. Oh well, time to go back in my box. ---
**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, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/45 "2006-09-06T21:51:04Z")
[QUOTE=StinkyBurrito] There is a commercial in the Cleveland area that urges you to dial ‘GARFIELD1-2323’ for new carpet. I wouldn’t even know how to go about doing that. Where is the ‘GARFIELD’ button on my cell phone? [/QUOTE] It’s the big orange cat-shaped one, duuuh. 4= **G** HI…2= **A** BC ---
**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, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/46 "2006-09-06T22:21:56Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug] Another thing: I got a whole bunch of hits for actor [House Peters Jr.](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0676310/bio) as the original Mr. C. [/QUOTE] Woah! Thank you. I stand corrected. In reading that bio I see that Peters, Jr. left show business for good in 1965. That would put the “murdered in 1964” in context. I wonder if this UL is that old. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/47 "2006-09-06T23:01:57Z")
In the U.S. is there a minimum time for an ad? Here in the U.K. subliminal ads are banned, and the shortest I’ve seen are the sponsorship ads bounding the commercial breaks which are at least 5 seconds. ---
**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, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/48 "2006-09-06T23:09:34Z")
[QUOTE=BobLibDem] As mentioned in the other thread, the [Discount Tire Ad](http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2004_Oct_12/ai_n6231251) holds the record for the longest running unaltered ad campaign. Nitpick with the ad- why would the glass just happen to fall so that the name of the store is magically reformed? [/QUOTE] I believe this is it. [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7523258318226668719&q=discount+tire+commercial&hl=en](http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7523258318226668719&q=discount+tire+commercial&hl=en) I have never seen this commercial before. 😕 ---
**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, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/49 "2006-09-06T23:34:17Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] In the U.S. is there a minimum time for an ad? Here in the U.K. subliminal ads are banned, and the shortest I’ve seen are the sponsorship ads bounding the commercial breaks which are at least 5 seconds. [/QUOTE] The rules in the UK are different than in the US. In the UK (for cable, I don’t know about broadcast TV) you cannot have a show about someone, then run a commercial featuring that same person. So in the UK you don’t see Nike ads with Tiger Woods running in a show about Tiger. We can do that in the US. I believe there is also a maximum amount of commercial time per hour (no such restriction here). The shortest commercial we air is :15. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2006, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/50 "2006-09-07T01:20:26Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] The rules in the UK are different than in the US. In the UK (for cable, I don’t know about broadcast TV) you cannot have a show about someone, then run a commercial featuring that same person. So in the UK you don’t see Nike ads with Tiger Woods running in a show about Tiger. We can do that in the US. I believe there is also a maximum amount of commercial time per hour (no such restriction here). The shortest commercial we air is :15. [/QUOTE] I just want to mention that I also work in broadcast, but on the media buying side of the business. Our agency negotiates and buys the air time from radio and tv stations all over the central US region (we’re in Chicago). So we’re one of the ones that send down the orders and the copy instructions and all that… It seems that you work on the station side, **ivylass** , no? Not trying to hijack here, but if there’s anything I can add from the client side of the industry, I’d be happy to help. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2006, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/51 "2006-09-07T11:56:38Z")
[QUOTE=HelloNinja] It seems that you work on the station side, **ivylass** , no? [/QUOTE] Yes. I think between the two of us we can cover a lot of the commercial questions…thanks for jumping in! ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2006, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/52 "2006-09-07T13:32:03Z")
[QUOTE=Kitchen Wench] 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. [/QUOTE] I stand corrected. It’s color, and it’s a seven digit number. Still quite 1960s-ish, though. ---
**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 7, 2006, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525/53 "2006-09-07T14:55:36Z")
[QUOTE=Omega Glory] 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.” … And I think the candy shell gets cracked in half as if some invisible person has bitten it. [/QUOTE] THAT’S IT! I knew there was something missing; you nailed it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-ad-still-being-used/371525.md?page=2)