Let us now slide into a quartet of vintage commercials with air dates from 1976 to 1979. We’ll start off with a famous Avon song and move on to spots for Ford Motorcraft parts (starring Muhammad Ali), Ben-Gay Balm, and Dole Pineapple Chunks. I do hope your trip is an enjoyable one and you’ll consider us for your next nostalgic journey.
AVON ‘YOU’VE NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD!’ SONG COMMERCIAL (1979)
Avon commercial featuring a famous jingle. Spot aired May 1979.
MUHAMMAD ALI FOR FORD MOTORCRAFT (1978)
Ford Motorcraft car parts commercial featuring boxing champ Muhammad Ali in Alaska. Spot aired October 1978.
BEN-GAY BALM COMMERCIAL (1977)
Ben-Gay Extra-Strength Balm commercial featuring a ‘more powerful formula.’ Spot aired January 1977 (produced in ’76).
DOLE CHUNK PINEAPPLE COMMERCIAL (1976)
Dole Chunk Pineapple commercial featuring fruit salad, tuna salad, and Continental Dessert ideas. Spot aired December 1976.
“We didn’t want to resort to this, but you leave us no choice.”
All righty! Let’s move forward two decades and roll out an EIGHTIES Week. We’ll start this collection off with a Burger King commercial from 1983 starring Elisabeth Shue (at least, I’m fairly certain it’s her).
Following that charmer, you’ll enjoy ads for Gloria Vanderbilt’s fragrance, Hostess snacks, Betty Crocker cake mix & frosting, Dentyne Gum, Ford pickups, Minute Maid Orange Juice, and KitKat bars. It’s early 80s mayhem!
CLASSIC ’80S BURGER KING COMMERCIAL (1983)
Burger King restaurant commercial featuring a Wagner-like orchestral theme. The actor appears to be Elisabeth Shue. Spot aired December 1983.
VANDERBILT FRAGRANCE COMMERCIAL (1983)
Gloria Vanderbilt fragrance commercial. Spot aired December 1983.
HOSTESS SNACKS COMMERCIAL (1981)
Hostess commercial featuring Cup Cakes, Fruit Pies, and Twinkies. Narrator sounds like Len Gochman. Spot aired October 1981.
BETTY CROCKER ‘BAKE SOMEONE HAPPY’ SONG COMMERCIAL (1981)
General Mills’ Betty Crocker SuperMoist Cake Mix & Creamy Deluxe Chocolate Frosting commercial featuring a sentimental jingle. Spot aired December 1981.
DENTYNE GUM ‘BRUSH YOUR BREATH’ JINGLE COMMERCIAL (1981)
Dentyne Chewing Gum commercial featuring a well-known jingle. Narration by Mason Adams. Spot aired December 1981.
’82 ‘FORD TOUGH!’ PICKUP COMMERCIAL (1981)
1982 model Ford pickup truck commercial featuring a ‘Log Mountain.’ Spot aired December 1981.
MINUTE MAID ORANGE JUICE COMMERCIAL (1981)
Minute Maid Orange Juice commercial featuring the orange peel carton gag. Spot aired October 1981.
KITKAT CANDY COMMERCIAL (1980)
KitKat candy bar commercial featuring a ‘Grease’/1950s-style candy store theme. Narration by Peter Thomas. Spot aired September 1980.
It’s Sixties Week here at the ‘Disco, and I’ve got a hearty batch of commercials from 1968 and ’69 for you. Our star is a wonderful animated spot for Beech-Nut Gum featuring the voices of John Fiedler and Bob McFadden. This one aired in 1969 but I’ve been told it may date back to ’65.
Following that masterpiece of advertising, you’ll take in spots for Kodak’s Instamatic Movie Camera, Rexall Drug Stores (with Louis Nye), Hunt’s Catsup, Here’s Lucy, Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries Cereal, Swiss Colony Bali Hai Wine, and All Detergent (with Bill Hinnant). Roll ’em!
BEECH-NUT FRUIT STRIPE GUM COMMERCIAL (1969)
Beech-Nut Gum commercial featuring animated mascots and Fruit, Candy, Cherry, Grape, and Frosty Stripe flavors. Voices likely include Bob McFadden and John Fiedler (Mouse). Spot aired circa 1969 (and may have been produced earlier).
KODAK INSTAMATIC MOVIE CAMERA COMMERCIAL (HOLIDAY, 1969)
Kodak Instamatic Movie Camera commercial featuring a mother & daughter and a holiday theme. Spot aired December 1969.
REXALL DRUG STORE COMMERCIAL (LOUIS NYE, 1968)
Rexall Drug Stores ‘Two For The Money’ sale commercial featuring actor-comedian Louis Nye. Spot aired June 1968.
HUNT’S CATSUP COMMERCIAL (1969)
Hunt’s Tomato Catsup commercial with a humorous look at pouring issues. Spot aired in 1969.
‘HERE’S LUCY’ SERIES PROMO (1969)
‘Here’s Lucy’ CBS TV series promo featuring Lucille Ball and Gale Gordon. Spot aired circa 1969.
Animated Quaker Cap’n Crunch Crunch Berries Cereal commercial featuring a visit to Crunch Berry Island and the VO talents of Daws Butler and June Foray. Spot aired in 1969.
BALI HAI SWISS COLONY WINE COMMERCIAL (1969)
Bali Hai Italian Swiss Colony Wine commercial. Spot aired early-to-mid 1969.
ALL DETERGENT ‘GREASE BREAKER!’ COMMERCIAL (1968)
All Detergent commercial featuring a ‘grease maker’ (actor Bill Hinnant) repairing a fan. Spot aired June 1968.
I’m behind on the ol’ weekend posting here, so this one will be an Extra-Large Economy Size version. The vintage commercials below originally ran on American TV screens between 1973 and 1976. First up, it’s a spot for Sears Snow Tires featuring a dramatic voice over by Ted Cassidy.
Following that, you’ll find spots for Tyco toy trains, United Airlines, Intimate fragrance, Superior’s Brand Meats (with a fun turn by Jonathan Winters), Volkswagen, Midland CB (with “Convoy”‘s C.W. McCall), and Palmolive (“You’re soaking in it!”).
SEARS SNOW TIRES COMMERCIAL (1973)
Sears Steel-Belted Radial Snow Tires commercial featuring the Canadian Yukon’s Dalton Trail. Narrator sounds like Ted Cassidy. Spot aired October 1973.
TYCO TOY TRAINS COMMERCIAL (CHRISTMAS, 1973)
Tyco toy trains ‘Spirit of ’76’ commercial with a Christmas Eve theme. Narration by Casey Kasem. Spot aired December 1973.
UNITED AIRLINES ‘FRIENDSHIP SERVICE’ COMMERCIAL (1973)
United Airlines Friendship Service commercial featuring ‘Rick Calwell’ the sports fan. Narration by Burgess Meredith. Spot aired December 1973.
INTIMATE FRAGRANCE COMMERCIAL (CHRISTMAS, 1975)
Intimate by Revlon concentrated cologne spray commercial featuring a sexy Christmas Collection theme. Spot aired December 1975.
Greetings, New Yearians! Our first batch of commercials for 2025 features the years 1972 and ’73. First up, a groovy spot for Wurlitzer’s Orbit III Spinet Organ and Electric Synthesizer. I never had one of these myself, but whenever I stumbled across one at a friend or relative’s place I’d hop on the keys and drive everyone crazy for a while.
Next, you’ll find spots for Imperial Margarine, Hormel’s Cure 81 holiday hams, and Prolong Christmas Tree Preserver. Enjoy, enjoy.
GROOVY WURLITZER ORGAN & SYNTHESIZER COMMERCIAL (1972)
Wurlitzer Orbit III Spinet Organ with electronic synth commercial featuring groovy images and sound. Spot aired November 1972.
IMPERIAL MARGARINE ‘FIT FOR A KING’ COMMERCIAL (1972)
Imperial Margarine commercial featuring the famed magical crown. Spot aired late 1972.
HORMEL HOLIDAY HAM COMMERCIAL (1972)
Hormel Cure 81 Boneless Ham commercial featuring a holiday theme. Spot aired December 1972.
PROLONG CHRISTMAS TREE PRESERVER COMMERCIAL (1973)
Texize Prolong Christmas Tree Preserver commercial featuring Santa Claus. Spot aired December 1973.
For this last post of the year, we visit the early 1970s and view vintage commercials for Grape-Nuts Cereal (with Euell Gibbons), Doritos (With Avery Schreiber), G.I. Joe, and Maytag (with Mike Farrell).
I hope the memories are good ones and everyone has a wonderful New Year. I’ll see you in 2025!
‘EVER EAT A PINE TREE?’ COMMERCIAL (EUELL GIBBONS FOR GRAPE-NUTS, EARLY 1970S)
Post Grape-Nuts Cereal commercial featuring author-spokesperson Euell Gibbons in a forest. Spot aired in the early 1970s.
