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| Ella Fitzgerald for Memorex, 1974/1979 |
Is it live, or is it Memorex?
Here are two commercials from the 1970s in which Ella Fitzgerald made Memorex a household name.
The first ad, from 1974, features Nelson Riddle and Ella. Riddle orchestrated some of Ella's earlier albums, before his death in 1985.
The second ad, from 1979, is one of the last in this series. In her last years, Ella, one of America's finest singers for decades, seemed to do one TV commercial after another, including those for Kentucky Fried Chicken and American Express.
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time 1:02 size 2.38 mb aired 1974/1979
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| Popeil's Pocket Fisherman, 196? |
It's the fishing invention of the century.
The Popeil ads were standard fare on late-night TV and during the holidays; this one was no exception.
Ron Popeil, inventer of this gadget, is also famous for the smokeless ashtray, the Chop-O-Matic, and the phrase, "But wait, there's more!"
Thanks to Clarke for contributing this ad to the site.
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time 0:29 size 1.1 mb aired 196?
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| Polaroid, 1965 (Ali McGraw) |
It talks to you!
Ali McGraw starred in several Polaroid Swinger Camera commercials; in this one, she plays a minor role.
We're not sure what awards these ads won, but they certainly deserved top honors. Slick productions, very catchy jingle, and priced right. One of the novel selling features of this camera was the little red "Yes" that appeared when the lighting conditions were adjusted just right (it really did work well).
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time 1:02 size 2.4 mb aired 1965
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| Easy Washer and Dryer, 1955 |
...with exclusive spiralator washing action...
Imagine an automatic washing machine with spiralator washing action!
Now, for 1955, you have to admit that these appliances looked pretty darned modern. We were thinking that roller wringers still existed, but no, they had been eliminated.
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time 0:29 size 1.12 mb aired 1955
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| Admiral Color TV, 1966 |
The tilt-out control center tilts in!
There is something cool about watching old "high tech" ads like this one. Who would have thought that a 25-inch screen was ever considered "big"?
And what are "super bright, rare, earth phosphors"?
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time 1:02 size 1.5 mb aired 1966
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| Man From Glad, 1968 |
Man from Glad, man from Glad...ladies losing pie fight.
Oh yes, these ladies needed a big man to save them from their silly pie fight.
The late '60s were odd in that sexism seemed much more difficult to overcome than did racism.
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time 0:33 size 991 kb aired 1968
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| Polaroid Camera, 1968 |
The 60-second excitement...
Polaroid often produced memorable jingles in its camera ads, first with The Swinger, and later with color-photo cameras. This ad was no exception.
Typical '60s beat, instruments, and flowery wackiness of the times.
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time 1:03 size 1.9 mb aired 1968
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| Scott Products |
Make summertime funtime!
I'm not sure who did the voiceover in this ad, but hers was one of the most annoying, squeaky imitations of a child in the '50s.
Oddly, you will note that sometimes the name of the product is "Scot". with one tee, and other times it's "Scott", with two tees. I have no idea if this was a mistake in the ad, or if Scott really did drop a tee from its name sometimes.
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time 0:23 size 578 kb aired 1956
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| Powerball - Oregon (Ray Charles) |
It's America's game.
Probably a hard-to-find Oregon version of the late, great Ray Charles for the Powerball lottery.
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time 0:34 size 491 kb aired 2002
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| Rival Crock Pot (Joe Garagiola) |
The last word in slow cooking.
From baseball to the Today Show to selling crock pots.
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time 0:34 size 506 kb aired 1976
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| Timex, with John Cameron Swayze |
It's time to get a new Timex...
Here's one time when John Cameron Swayze's (d. 1995) Timex didn't make it.
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time 0:32 size 407-437 kb aired 1977
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| Kenner's Give-A-Show Projector |
16 BIG SHOWS in each set!.
I so much wanted one of these, to open a theater, make big bucks, be mommy and daddy's pride and joy. When I finally got one and realized I'd been faked out, Kenner zoomed to the top of Little Ran's first s*** list...clothes dryer lint was more fun.
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time 0:59 size 736-785 kb aired 1960s
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| Tupperware Party |
Now let's go to a little town in New Jersey...
An all-girl affair, complete with female announcer. Very retro commercial, in fading color and with happy background music.
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time 1:18 size 1-1.02 mb aired 1950s
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| Dark Tower |
Dark Tower...from MB Electronics
One of the most gifted actors of all time appearing in a commercial that has gained a cultish reputation.
I understand the Dark Tower game commands quite a price nowadays.
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time 0:32 size 407-433 kb aired (unknown)
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| Keds |
Keds, Kids, Keds!
In the '50s, it wasn't Nike, it wasn't Adidas.
It was Keds.
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time 1:06 size 416 kb aired 1950s
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| RCA Radio |
So this is what a portable radio looked like in the '50s.
And this is what unbreakable meant, too. America was so impressed with this technology!
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time 1:08 size 423 kb aired 1950s
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| Channel-Master Antenna, 196? |
SEE what you've been missing!
We believe this is the boringest TV commerical on the site.
The voiceover is dynamic enough, but the antennas just stand there looking pretty, and the cameraman was not about to liven things up.
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time 0:22 size 879 kb aired 196?
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| Lady Sunbeam, 1965 |
The shaver with the exclusive built-in light.
The jingle in this ad was used in quite a few Lady Sunbeam ads of the day, mostly during the holidays.
Dig the crazy bongos about a third of the way through.
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time 1:03 size 2.4 mb aired 1965
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| Kodak Movie Camera, 1957 |
Do you go for...fast action?
Holy cow, look at the lighting system on this contraption at the 47-second spot in the video. There are FOUR floodlights attached to the comparatively tiny camera.
We understand the doll melted due to the intense sun-like temperatures generated by mom and her lamps.
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time 1:28 size 3.4 mb aired 1957
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| Dristan (McLean Stevenson), 1968 |
...you don't hear that coughing, that hacking...
Boring ad made interesting in that it featured future 1970 M.A.S.H. star, McLean Stevenson.
Stevenson died in 1996, due to complications after cancer surgery. He was 69.
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time 0:32 size 979 kb aired 1968
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| Zenith Color TVs, 1965 |
At Zenith, the quality goes in before the name goes on.
Wow, a giant 25-inch picture!
It's always fun to look back on technology in earlier decades. Back in the 1960s, Zenith was building its televisions in the United States. Today, all jobs building televisions in the US have been destroyed.
Apart from its TVs, Zenith is famous for inventing the first practical wireless remote control.
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time 1:02 size 2.4 mb aired 1965
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| Paper-Mate Pen, 1953 |
Bankers approve Paper-Mate, only a dollar sixty-nine everywhere.
Oh my: If American bankers approve it, it MUST be good, right? Nowadays, an endorsement by American bankers might be lethal to a product's success.
Featuring the Paper-Mate Sweethearts, singing their little hearts out.
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time 0:29 size 885 kb aired 1953
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| Singer Sewing Machine, 1967 |
Get the most fun out of life, out of being a mother and a wife!
Back in 1967, when young men were being sent to the meat grinder in Viet Nam, young women were being tutored to have "fun" being mothers and wives. Fun? Really?
It's a shame that corporate America has always shaped our culture and our thinking.
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time 1:02 size 1.5 mb aired 1967
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| Scotties Tissues (196?) |
Magic oval box...
It wasn't just a rectangular piece of cardboard with an oval hole in it, it was a magical one.
This stunning piece of engineering-design allowed you to take one or one dozen tissues at the same time.
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time 1:02 size 1.54 mb aired 196?
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| Scotties Tissues |
They don't crumble or shread.
I'm not sure if anybody would really attempt to wipe a dirty windshield with a an ordinary tissue, but that was the pitch in this one.
I thought it was amusing that the line, "They don't crumble or shread" was used while the woman was removing her make-up...instead of when the guy was cleaning the bug-splotched windshield.
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time 1:23 size 2 mb aired 1956
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| Polaroid Swinger |
Meet the Swinger, Polaroid Swinger.
Featuring an unknown actress named Ali McGraw, and a great jingle.
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time 1:01 size 1.45 mb aired 1965
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| Armstrong Tile |
Vinyl asbestos...
Yes, asbestos. Those people are dancing and twisting away on vinyl asbestos. One can only imagine how many fibers they're kicking up in the air. Oh, the innocent '60s...
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time 1:03 size 930 kb aired 1965
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| Buick Opel Kadett |
The Mini-Brute.
Featuring Johnny Weissmuller (1904 - 1984), the most famous film Tarzan of them all.
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time 0:33 size 438 kb aired 1967
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| Robert Hall |
No doubt, a cheaply made commercial, but one that was repeatedly aired, especially in the Midwest.
Robert Hall was the place to go for back-to-school clothing. A very rare commercial.
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time 0:26 size 128 kb aired 1950s
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| Scotch Tape |
Scotch cellophane tape.
You know this one is old. The tape dispenser--as with toys in that era--is made of metal, not plastic.
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time 1:11 size 336 kb aired 1950s
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| Pennys Pants |
The shape to be seen in: Mens and boys pants.
There was nothing worse than straight-legs or flares that were 2 inches (51 mm) too short. Maybe that's what the chick with the mod headgear is staring at?
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time 0:28 size 421-458 kb aired 1960s
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| Westinghouse: Bad Fridge, Bad! |
A most embarassing live blooper from the early '50s. No, it's not Betty Furness. Betty was unable to do the show on that particular night, so somebody (June Graham) substituted for her.
See what happens when good refrigerators go bad.
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time 2:38 size 712 kb aired 1950s
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