Sorta OT: The Classic TV Commercials Thread

[Marty26]

Well, since we all like to post our favorite TV commercials from yesteryear/yesterdecade/whatever, I figured why not just make an entire thread devoted to them?

This is one of my favorite cereal commercials. It's a Kellogg's Smacks commercial from, I think, around Halloween of 1993 (hence the Haunted House theme). It aired, I believe, until early-1994 (odd, since it was supposedly holiday-specific). I love it when Kitty taunts Dig'em with those keys:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5Ek1gcQdV8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5Ek1gcQdV8)

Also, here's an interesting Australian commercial for Kentucky Fried Chicken from 1981 (at least, according to the Youtube poster, it's from that year). This must've been taken from a "retro commercials" DVD or something, because I don't think TV commercials in the early-80's had such good picture quality yet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okSsM-CQOjI

Does anybody else here think that girl in the middle who comments, "Mmmmmm, juicy" was really hot? Not to mention she has a strangely modern looking haircut (unless may be that was the norm for those Australians back then).

[Brandon Panther]

Remember the Mentos commercials? Here's one of them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_KsOnyuCGA

The brunette in that commercial is just georgous (hey if we're going to shamlessly comment on the attractive looks of commercial actresses, I'll gladly follow suit).

[Marty26]

Remember the Mentos commercials? Here's one of them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_KsOnyuCGA

The brunette in that commercial is just georgous (hey if we're going to shamlessly comment on the attractive looks of commercial actresses, I'll gladly follow suit).

OMG, it's Merideth Leigh Monroe before Dawson's Creek.

I know that commercial's from the 90's, but what was the actual year it came out? Somebody on Youtube said it was in 1992. But it looks more like a 1996/1997 commercial to me.

[Marty26]

Here's one you've all seen: The 1986 Trix commercial where he meets none other than Bugs Bunny himself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIRxMGvKipg

[nickramer]

Here's a Muppet commercial for the first Kermit and Rowlf dolls. You don't see commercials that pertends to threaten the consumer anymore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHGPxfpyFzA&feature=channel_page

[cartoonfan4ever]

Speaking of Muppets, here is a series of commercials for Wilkins Coffee (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ky7g1lgTwc&NR=1).

The first one I saw on a Jim Henson Documentary. They don't make em like that any more.

[Glowworm]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ0NG5cUC1w&feature=channel_page

The hillarious Snickers commercial where the office worker tries to get someone to go to lunch with him by having a conversation with a poster of a panda. I was in middle school when this one came out-but it's still absolutely hillarious.

"Pretty Pretty dancing. Pretty Pretty dancing."

[cartoonfan4ever]

Heres one from Scotland for Irn Bru (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfiqrkV_ZqI). It's a parody of The Snowman.

[ThePeterNetwork]

This was the first McDonald's commercial I found on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krXP_TUZqsk

One time, I had a McDonald's commercial downloaded to my computer, and it had Grimace as a bad guy with four arms. I didn't get it either.

[Chooch]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yuej5igoKCo

New Country Cornflakes. Handsdown...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7k2uwJmwxo

...except for the Swinger, of course. And yeah, that's Ali McGraw.

[Marty26]

Just out of curiosity, did TV commercials really have better picture quality than standard TV shows in the early-80's? That's how it seems, based on those Youtube videos.

[nickramer]

Just out of curiosity, did TV commercials really have better picture quality than standard TV shows in the early-80's? That's how it seems, based on those Youtube videos.
Yes, they did.

[Marty26]

Yes, they did.

Why is that so? Is it that they could afford better picture quality since commercials were typically cheaper to produce than TV shows? I've noticed that, even in the 90's and 2000's, this still seems to be the case.

That Australian 1981 Kentucky Fried Chicken commercial I linked in the first post, for example, really doesn't look much worse (picture quality wise) than a modern day TV commercial. In fact, even structurally, it doesn't look much different from a modern day TV commercial (even though you no longer see commercial jingles like that) - yet TV shows, music, movies, etc. were totally different back then than they are today. Although, again, I have to wonder if that commercial was may be taken from a "remastered TV commercials DVD" or something (which would make the better picture quality seem more sensible).

[nickramer]

Why is that so? Is it that they could afford better picture quality since commercials were typically cheaper to produce than TV shows? I've noticed that, even in the 90's and 2000's, this still seems to be the case.

That Australian 1981 Kentucky Fried Chicken commercial I linked in the first post, for example, really doesn't look much worse (picture quality wise) than a modern day TV commercial. In fact, even structurally, it doesn't look much different from a modern day TV commercial (even though you no longer see commercial jingles like that) - yet TV shows, music, movies, etc. were totally different back then than they are today. Although, again, I have to wonder if that commercial was may be taken from a "remastered TV commercials DVD" or something (which would make the better picture quality seem more sensible).

I think it's because ad agentcies have or had more money.

[Marty26]

Here's a "totally rad" 1987 commercial for the original Legend Of Zelda (I guess before "Nintendo Power", there was the "Nintendo Newsletter"):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vumQ-D06ppg

Alright, sing it with me:

It's The Legend Of Zelda, and it's really rad
Those creatures from Gannon are pretty bad
Octoroks, tektites, and leevers, too
But with your help, our hero pulls through

:confused:

[Marty26]

Here are two 1997 commercials for Sprite that I think everybody here should remember. Does anybody else here find them just a little hypocritical?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfOgYIOho44

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgYyI0wwJ0Y

[Studio Toledo]

Yes, they did.
I had more the impression because many ads started to be transferred to video instead of being offered on film itself, since most TV programs in the early 80's were still being ran off film chain projectors anyway.

[Marty26]

I had more the impression because many ads started to be transferred to video instead of being offered on film itself, since most TV programs in the early 80's were still being ran off film chain projectors anyway.

Aren't many TV shows still being ran off film chain projectors? Or is that method pretty much dead and gone now?

[cbrubaker]

Aren't many TV shows still being ran off film chain projectors? Or is that method pretty much dead and gone now?
Do you mean if TV shows are still shot on film?

Some of the bigger budget shows are sometimes shot on Super 16mm, but otherwise everything's outputted to betacam or something.

[Marty26]

Do you mean if TV shows are still shot on film?

Some of the bigger budget shows are sometimes shot on Super 16mm, but otherwise everything's outputted to betacam or something.

It seems Betacam was most frequently used from the mid-80's through the mid-90's. After that, television producers began using it less often, and now you'll even see cooking shows shot in 16 mm film.

[Der Captain]

I had heard for years about Tex Avery doing Kool Aid commercials with Bugs Bunny. I guess this is one of them. Anyone see any others?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hNlNjhwIIo

[Der Captain]

Another Bugs commercial. At last Daffy gets even.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxj6WMHhnwY&feature=related