# TV Commercial Question -- Help!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercial-question-help/223263>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 7, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercial-question-help/223263 "2004-01-07T19:19:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercial-question-help/223263/1 "2004-01-07T19:19:33Z")

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Ok, there’s an office supply company out there that I need to know the name of. I’ve seen their commercials a hundred times, but can’t think of the name. Here’re the particulars:

–The commercials are done up like bad 1940’s noir detective flicks.  
–They are in black & white, and the spokesman is doing the whole fedora/trench coat thing.  
–IIRC, they end with something to the effect of “Thow the book them. The [insert name here] office supply book!”  
–I think they only do catalog sales.  
–I’m pretty sure the company name is someone’s last name (not an Office Max or anything like that).  
Thanks tons in advance for any help!

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**Author:** ![Photog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c77e96/32.png) [@Photog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Photog)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercial-question-help/223263/2 "2004-01-07T19:42:33Z")

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[W.B. Mason](http://www.wbmason.com)

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**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercial-question-help/223263/3 "2004-01-07T20:06:50Z")

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Woohoo!!

A million thanks, **Photog**!