# What are Your Earliest Memories of TV Commercials? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 8, 2006, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856 "2006-05-08T07:05:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856/21 "2006-05-08T17:46:20Z")
The owl licking the Tootsie Pop The Indian (Ironhead Cody? or something like that) crying over the trash. Don’t squeeze the Charmin Calgon, take me away Some of the others already mentioned from the early '70s. ---
**Author:** ![Logan\_5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/fbc32d/32.png) [@Logan\_5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Logan_5)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856/22 "2006-05-08T19:48:53Z")
I remember there was a commercial for Doritos with this chubby guy with dark curly hair and a thick moustache. and the 7Up commercial with the big bald Carribean/Jamaican dude who would proclaim in his deep voice that 7UP had no caffeine…“Never had it, never will” and then followed by a great booming laugh. and Robert Young for Sanka instant coffee…icky. ---
**Author:** ![Mayo\_Speaks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mayo\_Speaks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mayo_Speaks)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856/23 "2006-05-08T19:53:40Z")
I remember a commercial for a [Square-1](http://mooretechnologies.com/~kevin/puzzles/square-1.jpg) puzzle. It was amazing. And I threw a tantrum in the mall when my mom wouldn’t get it for me. And I guess I’m ashamed of that, since to this day it’s one of the only Rubik’s-like puzzles I don’t own. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856/24 "2006-05-08T19:58:08Z")
_All the animals in the zoo are jumping up and down for you, hoping you will be sure to plan a trip to the zoo as fast as you can._ [something something] \*storybooks you turn on with a key tell you all about the \*[something] \*animals you see. Storybooks and zoo keys together guide you through. A world of new adventure awaits you at the zoo.\* ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856/25 "2006-05-08T20:22:11Z")
Hmmm…the very earliest… I remember a beaver (don’t recall his name), the mascot for Ipana toothpaste. The Timex “Takes a Licking and Keeps on Ticking!” In fact, honest, I even saw the live commercial which has been in several TV bloops specials where the guy puts a Timex on an outboard motor prop and fires 'er up…only to disintegrate the watch. I actually saw that sucker! And, there was another toothpaste commercial I remember, for what I think was the first toothpaste with stripes in it. I cannot remember the name, or anything but a few bits from the commercial now, but it was long, long before brands like Aquafresh, etc., came onto the scene. If anyone remembers it, it did not have the stripes in the actual toothpaste, they were provided by an insert into the cap which added the red(I think it was red) stripes as the white toothpaste was extruded. I know because I took one of the used tubes apart to see how it was done. The sqoopy-zoomy guy for Jets cereal. ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856/26 "2006-05-08T20:23:39Z")
> [@LiveOnAPlane](#): > > The swoopy-zoomy guy for Jets cereal. Sorry, typo correction. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856/27 "2006-05-08T20:25:03Z")
I remember Madge and her Palmolive - though I only learned for sure recently who it was and the product because of the SDMB. 🙂 I remember “Scott and Joey and you” - “Cheese please!” (maybe have to be Canadian for that one?) “I love I love I love I love my Kraft… dinner with:” (various children saying their favourite condiments or food combinations, such as “ketchup!”) and then the final one being a saccharine little girl with pigtails who says, looking fondly up at the man beside her: “My Dad.” “Raise your hand, raise your hand if you’re Sure!” God, how did this one go… ahem: “So kiss a little longer, hold hands a little longer, hold tight a little longer, longer with Big Red! That Big Red freshness lasts right through it, your fresh breath goes on and on, while you chew it! Say goodbye a little longer, make it last a little longer, give your breath long lasting freshness… with Big Red!” I remember a McDonald’s ad that… I _think_, went to the tune of _Mack the Knife_, and the slogan was something like “Mac Tonight”. “How Now Brown Cow?” for Brown Cow chocolate syrup. Possibly Canadian. Also, weirdly, around Christmas, one of my earliest memories, and a commercial that actually makes me feel all warm and Christmas-y, even today, is those damn Stetson commericals, with a cowboy riding his horse slo-mo through the snow, and maybe there’s a woman riding behind him, I don’t remember anymore, and there’s this weird, ambient, almost Enya-like music playing throughout, with a female voice singing, very high-pitched: “Eeeeeasy for yoooooooou, eeeeeasy for yoooouuuooooouuuuu, STETSOOOOOON makes it eeeeeeasy… for yooooooou.” Or sommat. Makes me feel like stringing lights. ---
**Author:** ![grossmrkup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@grossmrkup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grossmrkup)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856/28 "2006-05-08T20:39:52Z")
“Ancient Chineses secret, huh?” ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856/29 "2006-05-08T20:40:42Z")
Just remembered a couple more: Quisp and Quake Cereals. Quake was a big-shouldered, lantern-jawed…miner? and Quisp was definitely an alien in a flying saucer. They had some kind of rivalry around 1969 or so. “Catch Lucky, he’s got Lucky Charms!” There were 3 marshmallows: Red hearts, yellow moons and green clovers. I think the blue diamonds were introduced later. Honeycomb Hideout…but that one came later, 1973 or so. ---
**Author:** ![grossmrkup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@grossmrkup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grossmrkup)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856/30 "2006-05-08T20:41:22Z")
grrr…“ **Chinese** secret” ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856/31 "2006-05-08T20:49:58Z")
I can’t believe it’s not butter! Parkay! (_ding_ with the crown appearing) Bayer ads featuring some famous rugged actor w/ a headache in the rain Doritos commercials w/ (Jay Leno??) There were white ones and yellow ones. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856/32 "2006-05-08T21:13:20Z")
> [@LiveOnAPlane](#): > > I remember a beaver (don’t recall his name), the mascot for Ipana toothpaste. Bucky, maybe? “Brush-a, brush-a, brush-a, with Ipana toothpaste”. L.S.M.F.T. – Lucky Strike means fine tobacco. "I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in the pan, and never let you forget you’re a man . . . " What was that for? Virginia Slims? “Call for Philip Mor-assssssssssss!” I never got that one. Was the little guy in the uniform paging someone named Philip Morris? I remember Arthur Godfrey in a lot of ads, but I don’t remember if they were on his show or if he was shilling for others. I guess we were supposed to think Godfrey was trustworthy, like Paul Harvey selling Bose radios. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856/33 "2006-05-08T21:24:23Z")
In the early 1950s, when TV was still an object of intense fascination for nearly everyone, there was a commercial for Kool cigarettes in which a cartoon penguin said “Smoke KOOL” in a cute, hooty penguiny voice. I remember running around the neighborhood shouting “Smoke KOOL.” My father did smoke Kool cigarettes, and I was fascinated by the empty cigarette packages that were lying all around the house. Not surprisingly, I grew up to be a cigarette addict (menthol, of course). ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856/34 "2006-05-08T21:27:21Z")
> [@Logan 5](#): > > I remember there was a commercial for Doritos with this chubby guy with dark curly hair and a thick moustache. [Avery Schreiber](http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117858087). The “Hi, guy!” Guy was the first one I thought of. I remember both the old Alka-Seltzer campaigns (“Plop, plop, fizz, fizz” as well as “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!”). There’s a remake of the latter with Peter Boyle running now, but they’ve changed the line to “I can’t believe I ate _that_ whole thing!” Sounds wrong, and seems pointless. I remember when Froot Loops came in only three colors, as did Trix (which were round: raspberry red, lemon yellow, and orange orange). Also Lucky Charms with only three marshmallows. Dig’em, the Sugar Smacks loving frog. [They still make Quisp](http://www.quisp.com/). Joe Namath for Noxeema shaving cream. L’eggs panty hose that came in the plastic egg. ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856/35 "2006-05-08T21:31:25Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > "I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in the pan, and never let you forget you’re a man . . . " What was that for? Virginia Slims? [Enjoli perfume](http://www.tvacres.com/adslogans_e.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856/36 "2006-05-08T21:33:26Z")
Lucky Charms never had only three marshmallows; it started out with four: pink hearts, orange stars, yellow moons, and pink clovers. (I was going to be all cutesy and color the text, but the yellow always comes out illegible, even when bolded.) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856/37 "2006-05-08T21:35:24Z")
588-2300, _Empire!_ Yes, I grew up watching Chicago TV. > [@AuntiePam](#): > > “Call for Philip Mor-assssssssssss!” I never got that one. Was the little guy in the uniform paging someone named Philip Morris? [Philip Morris](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Morris_USA) ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856/38 "2006-05-08T21:59:04Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > “Winston tastes good like a cigarette should.” Now I remember this one because one of my teachers said it was grammatically incorrect. It should be “… **as** a cigarette should.” **Liveonaplane,** I remember that toothpaste and asking my Dad how it worked. He said there were separate compartments for the red and white. We got some but we never took a used tube apart. I think there was “Stripe” in in the name but I’m getting myself confused with Fruit Stripe gum commercials with the cartoon zebra when I try to think about it. Oh, when Virginia Slims first came out, their motto was, “You’ve come a long way, baby!” Couldn’t be a Woman’s Libber without your own brand of cancer sticks. **AuntiePam** wrote about Lucky Strikes. I remember when people in their commercials would get a fake black eye for some reason. “I’d walk a mile for a Camel.” When I was a kid, a mile seemed very, very far. Like your shoes would get worn out walking that distance. I couldn’t imagine why a cigarette would be worth it. Dick Clark would promote Clorets on American Bandstand. He’d butt the ends of two rolls together and say, “Two! Two! Two mints in one!” > [@Dorjän](#): > > Parkay! (_ding_ with the crown appearing) **Dorjan,** That was Imperial margerine. Parkay had the plastic tub with the lid that opened like a mouth and said, “Par-kaaay!” I remember some margerine commercial where the actors were highly offended at the thought of using butter instead of it. A French chef says, “Buttaire, she burns!” I always think of that when I see a recipe using real butter. Thanks for the response everyone! Great nostalgia! ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856/39 "2006-05-08T22:00:42Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > 588-2300, _Empire!_ It’s been around that long? We’ve only been getting them for the last couple of years. ---
**Author:** ![Caractacus\_Pott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Caractacus\_Pott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caractacus_Pott)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856/40 "2006-05-08T22:17:40Z")
My earliest is: A lady in a dark red sweater and light blue skirt spinning slowly around, ashamedly showing her skirt clinging so tightly we can tell she doesn’t have unsightly panty lines. A quick shot of the advertiser’s spray causes the skirt to release its hold. Don’t know who made the stuff: it was a year or two before I could read. How about Carter’s Little Liver Pills? **Tikki** , the black-eye smokes are Tareyton because “I’d rather fight than switch.” And Certs are “two, two, two mints in one.” Clorets are chlorophyll gum. **madmonk28** , I remember those malt liquor ads, too. It’s killing me that I can’t remember the product. They were all over the TV when I was a little kid. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-earliest-memories-of-tv-commercials/355856.md?page=3)