Today's commercial wraps up our Christmas Ad-Stravaganza for 2010. It's a favourite of both yours and mine, and I think it's the perfect way to wrap up the season.
This here commercial, which aired every Christmas from 1987 to 2005, is probably my favourite commercial of all time. Of all time!
As we see, it's Christmas in the prehistoric town of Bedrock. Fred is listening to some carolers outside his window, and making some last-minute preparations for the arrival of Santa Claus. Barney (who, for some reason, can't afford his own cereal) comes up with a plan to steal Fred's delicious Pebbles by dressing up as Santa. But alas, Santa's already there! Santa reasons with Fred and Barney, and the two friends share the cereal together.
This commercial is so sweet, and it works on so many levels. The characters are already loveable, and the music is really great (I can't hear the song "Deck the Halls" without my brain automatically changing the lyrics you hear in this commercial). This commercial also teaches children a life lesson: share with your fellow man!
I guess there's really not all that much that I can really say about this spot that hasn't already been said. It's my favourite, clear and simple.
Have a good Christmas, and a wonderful new year. I'll see you shortly.
I have a lot of fun, Christmas-y commercials to share with you, and very little time to do it. You see, I update this blog from one of two places: either at a coffee shop downtown, or using stolen wi-fi at home. Downtown is really busy this time of year, what with the last-minute Christmas shopping and whatnot, and I think my neighbours are getting wise to me stealing their internet. As a result, I've decided to condense my next two entries into one SUPER LONG ENTRY!
Back when I was a wee lad, my sister and I used to watch a version of The Muppet Movie which was taped off TV sometime in the 80’s. While most of the commercials were edited out (by way of someone pausing the recording when they came on), a few of them still remained. This is one of them. The reason I remember this ad is because the jingle would get stuck in my head for days!
I had never seen the dog at the piano before this commercial, nor have I seen him since. In fact, I didn’t learn that his name was Farfel until I looked up this commercial on YouTube. According to the all-knowing Wikipedia, Farfel was featured in a number of Nestlé television spots in the 1950’s and 60’s, and was just brought out of retirement for this ad. Wikipedia says it was sometime in the mid-90’s, but I think it was closer to 1988 or 1989.
Maybe I don’t watch enough commercials aimed at children these days, but I think it’s hard to find an ad like this one anymore. (Wait, no, that's a lie. Saturday mornings at work are all about Hannah Montana et al.)
Our good friend Ebenezer Scrooge has returned for this spot for Honey Nut Cheerios. He’s not a bad man, really. Until his visit from the Honey Bee, he was probably just cranky because he didn’t appreciate the importance of a balanced breakfast.
This is such a touching commercial, because of its theme of understanding and tolerance. Scrooge was seen by everyone in the village as a villain. Why would anyone take time out of their Christmas to help this misunderstood man? That’s what Christmas is all about, though. Peace on Earth can only be achieved if we take the time to reach out to one another, and put aside all our petty differences.
Or, it’s about eating delicious cereal. Either way you slice it, it’s still a great commercial.
Also, did you know that the Honey Bee didn’t have a name for twenty-one years? From 1979 until 2000, the bee was nameless. He was named BuzzBee, later shortened to Buzz, and is now voiced by Billy West, who played Fry on Futurama. Crazy!
Let’s face it, McDonalds commercials were much better in the 80’s than they are now. You couldn’t watch a cartoon without Ronald and his friends popping up in each commercial break. They were more than just thirty seconds of burger-selling madness; they were lessons about life. You would learn about friendship, compassion, and most importantly, love. At no other time was this more true (my auto-spell check wants me to change that to “truer”, but I don’t think that’s an actual word) than during the holidays, as we’ll see in these commercials.
This first spot starts out with Birdie and Grimace wandering around the magical McDonaldland in search of a Christmas present for their best friend, Ronald. A falling star falls to the ground, prompting Birdie and Grimace to follow and catch it. When they finally capture the star, it becomes sick and stops twinkling. The problem is that it doesn’t belong on the ground, but rather in the sky, so that everyone can enjoy it. See? Chock full of life lessons about friendship, sharing, and responsibility.
This next one may not have much of a lesson, but it’s still pretty fun.
This magical spot features a lot of characters which my younger readers may not recognize. Back when the magical McDonaldland existed, there were a whole bunch of zany characters that lived there. Of course, everyone knows Ronald McDonald. He’s the leader (founder?) of McDonaldland. The next in command is Mayor McCheese, who takes care of the day to day business required to keep McDonaldland running. I’m not sure what the hell Grimace was supposed to be, but he’s Ronald’s best friend. When he was introduced in the 70’s, he had four arms and he stole milkshakes! The Hamburgler was also a thief, and although he stole hamburgers from the gang, he’s still considered a close friend. And those puffy, colourful characters? They’re Fry Kids! I don’t think they talk or do anything of importance, but they’re still pretty cool.
One thing I miss about the old characters is that you could create this whole universe around them. You learned to love them, and you got sucked into their world. If you take away the characters, then the alternate sense of reality they live in dies along with them. McDonaldland is no more. Ronald lives alone in the real world, and we all know that the real world isn’t all that fun.
Wow, there we go. Stick around, because in my next entry I'll talk about my favourite Christmas commercial yet! Until then, drive safe and love one another. I'll see you soon.
This commercial was suggested to me by Samantha, a co-worker of mine. It’s hard to think of old Christmas commercials without thinking about this one from Coca Cola.
This commercial may only be five years old, but its message of togetherness and tolerance is timeless. There were a whole bunch of these polar bear commercials over the years, but I really love this one the most.
True story: I had a great-great aunt named Grace. She was born in the late 1890’s, and died sometime before 2000. When these commercials, which were obviously computer animated, started coming out, she said to her daughter, “Gee, I wonder how they trained the polar bears to act like that!” Isn’t that adorable?
Another Coca Cola commercial that I loved was this one:
There’s very little that I can say about this commercial. Maybe it was my simple-mindedness, but I have always found myself amused by all the lights. Those trucks aren’t just transporting Coca Cola; they’re transporting something bigger: goodwill towards your fellow man, and peace on earth.
And now for something completely unrelated!
Regardless of what race or ethnicity they are, every kid’s dream is to be able to call up Santa. What if I told you that in 1985, there was a 1-900 number you could call to do just that? Sounds pretty exciting, doesn’t it? Now what if I told you that if you called that number, Santa would rap just for you?
You see, before Snoop, before Eminem, and yes, even before Coolio, Santa Claus was the hip hop king of the world. For the low, low price of two dollars for the first minute, and forty-five cents for each additional minute, MC Santa would spit out his dope rhymes just for you!
So... where do I start? First of all, I had no idea that Santa had any rap skills. He’s pretty much the last person I would associate with the early hip hop scene. Second, you’ll notice that the commercial tells the children to get their parents’ permission before calling. I’d like to know what kind of parent would have allowed their children to call that number. Third, what could Santa rap about that would take longer than a minute? Could you interact with the big man, or was it just a recording? So many questions!
I really want to call that number and see what it is now. The problem is that I don’t get paid enough to afford the two dollars for the first minute, and forty-five cents for the second.
I think that in today’s society, where hip hop is more widely embraced, they should bring this back. I think that it would do extremely well! Nothing says “Merry Christmas” and “Peace on Earth” quite like Santa rapping.
Today, I've decided to change things up. A friend of mine, Cathie, is going to sit in and write this entry!
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How The Spots Saved Christmas
What kind of a spokes person is David Spade for the best lemon lime soda on the market? And how can he compare to those cute little Spots? I dare say, he cannot. With this commercial we take you back to a simpler time, yet a time wrought with peril.
For you see, in Santa's 7Up induced stupor, he "accidentally" leaves behind the fire truck for Little Johnny. Only the brave souls known as The Spots would dare venture onto said fire truck, and drive it through a passage in a creepy tree with eyes, that just happens to empty out into Little Johnny's living room. (Please note that even though it is snowing, Johnny's parents decided to leave the window open.) Apparently this was a covert operation, as The Spots request that you keep quiet about the whole thing less we blemish Santa's impeccable gift-giving record.
As many of my readers probably know, I grew up in Ontario, Canada. The winters up there were cold and snowy, but we always dealt with it. It’s become somewhat of a joke, as you can see in this Midas commercial.
Ok, this ad isn’t old. And sure, maybe it’s not Christmas related. It’s still pretty damn funny, though. I remember laughing my ass off when I saw it for the first time. Can any of my Canadian readers tell me if they still air this?
All jokes aside, winter tires are important. Make sure that your tires are in good shape, and drive safe this winter.
Now, I don’t remember any specific commercial from this series, but I sure remember them airing all the time around the holidays. For those of you who aren’t in the know, Canadian Tire isn’t simply an auto parts store. It’s a place of wonder, combining auto parts with discount-quality home improvement goods. You need tools? Go to Canadian Tire. You need sporting goods? Go to Canadian Tire. You need tires? You could go to Canadian Tire, although I wouldn’t recommend it.
Back in the 1980’s and 90’s, Ebenezer Scrooge would appear in the Canadian Tire Christmas commercials. Before he was visited by the three spirits of Christmas, he wasn’t exactly known for his over-the-top spending habits. That’s why he loves Canadian Tire. He was able to buy his gifts, and save lots of money while he did it!
I remember getting a Teddy Ruxpin for Christmas back in 1987. I remember it very clearly, considering I was only three years old at the time. I didn’t believe that it was Christmas that year because there wasn’t any snow on the ground. Teddy Ruxpin was one of my favourite toys for a long, long time. He’s still kicking around, actually. I have him, and several of his tapes, packed away in a box up in Canada.
Well, until next time, stay warm and hug your loved ones. I’ll be back soon with more Christmas fun!
Now that it's officially December, we can really get into the Christmas spirit around here. I know I already have.
Today, I've got a special treat for you. If you love Christmas carols, and you love the Smurfs, then you're going to love this.
I tried searching the internet looking for an orginal release date for this record, but I couldn't find anything except a track listing. (I didn't look very hard)
I'll be honest with you; there's nothing good about this album. I don't know what kind of drugs people were on in the 80's, but they must have been pretty powerful. How else can you explain why such a record was made? Or even worse, why people would buy it?
I enjoy unnecessary Christmas-related media as much as the next person. I even have my own VHS copy of Pee Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special. Merry Christmas With The Smurfs crosses the line, though. This is just terrible.
If you find that you can't live without this album, don't fret. It's available on iTunes for your listening pleasure. Don't say I didn't warn you.
This next commercial is another favourite of mine. It combines two important pillars of my childhood: Pepsi and Super Mario.
With this cross-promotion between Pepsi and Nintedo comes one of the most fun Christmas commercials of all time. In spot, our hero's on a very important mission. No, Princess Toadstool doesn't need to be rescued. No, King Koopa's not wrecking havoc on the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario's mission is more important than that. Today, he's trying out his new-found Santa power, and spreading joy to everyone in the general store. He's collecting Pepsi instead of coins, and firing out Action Sets, Game Paks, and best of all, the sensational new Game Boy!
I didn't get my Nintendo or my Game Boy until years after this commercial aired. At that age, I wanted nothing more in life than to have my own Nintendo, and this commercial just further strengthened those feelings.
In fact, this commercial looks so fun that if it were an actual game, I'd gladly play it.
Well, that's it for now. I'll be back next week with more Christmas commercials. Until then, stay safe!
