For TBT–My Favorite Commercials – Ritter Ames Mysteries

For TBT–My Favorite Commercials

I’m a reader–always have been–but I grew up as a television kid, too. I learned the ingredients of the Big Mac watching the McDonald’s commercial (yes, I can still say it nonstop without having to breathe–not bragging, just trivial fact). And kind of like commercials, I aced the grammar section in high school English class by knowing all the School House Rockwords to all of the Grammar Rock shorts. I also learned how a bill becomes a law by watching History Rock to help make an A on a 10th grade history test. And yes, that means I watched Saturday morning cartoons even when I was in high school (who am I kidding–I was still watching them when I got married). So, yeah, I’m geared for the shorts between show segments that get my attention, make me laugh, make me think, and make me remember.

Now, for Throwback Thursday, here is my list of My Favorite Commercials, with links to the videos if you want to reminisce a bit yourself. I’ve added pictures to decorate this post, but they’re just for show.  Look for the hot link to click over to the shorts you might want to watch again (and again).Hope you enjoy!

ClydesdalesI look forward to the Budweiser commercials every Super Bowl just to see the Clydesdales. However, Puppy Love is my all-time favorite, though it’s a fairly recent one. Of the 58.6 million hits on YouTube, my viewing probably accounts for 10 percent. Just kidding, but I really have watched it a lot of times. Before Puppy Love came out I counted the one with the Clydesdale Colt Getting a Little Help from His Friends as my fave. But truthfully, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Budweiser Clydesdale commercial I haven’t liked. But I don’t like the beer.

Mean Joe GreeneI appreciate a good pop commercial too–caffeinated and otherwise. My two favorite drinks were (and still are) Coke and 7-Up, so it’s no stretch to figure out that I have commercial favorites of each one. First, the earliest (yes the the same one used in the finale of Mad Men) the Hilltop Singers Offering the World a Coke. Next, the cool, un-caffeinated soda ad for 7-Up, The Uncola Commercial from the 70s. And about 9 years later the one where a Kid Gives Mean Joe Green a Coke from 1980.

May the Force be with youOkay, now going from the pop you drink to pop culture–yes, I am a Star Wars/Indiana Jones total-geekout girl. So I absolutely LOVED the Volkswagen commercial where a half-pint Darth Vader finally–successfully–used the power of the force and even surprised himself. Check out May the Force Be With Volkswagen.

These next two are really close. I honestly can’t tell you which is my very favorite. It truly is a tie.

Bird & JordanFirst up, a commercial really close to my heart because I Love Basketball. No surprise then that the Larry Bird/Michael Jordan decade was my all-time favorite basketball era ever. Given that information, it should also be no surprise that I adored the Bird/Jordan “Nothing But Net” competitions they did for McDonald’s. Want to know a secret? I still have one of the “Nothing But Net” caps you could buy at McDonald’s during that time, and I’ve never worn it because I don’t want anything to happen to it. The cap is packed away safe and sound on a shelf high in my closet. My kid will probably sell it on eBay someday (or whatever is the equivalent to eBay in the future). I’ve never even shown the cap to my husband. LOL! Hmmm, the kid may not know about this legacy. Anyway, did you like this commercial too? Then watch these two compete in Larry Bird & Michael Jordan–Nothing But Net

Cat HerdingWhich commercial is tied for my all time favorite? The EDS Commercial–Cat Herding. Funniest thing about this ad wasn’t the cat herding. It was the fact that everyone who saw it loved it, but no one ever remembered the company behind the message. The video was really great, but I’m not sure it was actually a successful commercial. Still, it was absolutely brilliant!

InterjectionsThanks to all the folks who put these videos on YouTube throughout the years. I’ll leave you with my favorite Grammar Rock–Interjections! Have a Wow! day, everyone.

Do you have a favorite commercial you want to share? Leave a note about it in the comments 🙂

4 Replies to “For TBT–My Favorite Commercials”

  1. Okay, back in the 80’s, NYNEX yellow pages (it was a Northeast thing) had THE BEST commecials — just as snarky as I am so you know I loved ’em — and I found a YouTube link for one of the best: furniture stripping. It stays with us even after all these years. Enjoy!

  2. Bud (because I’m from St.Louis) no, kidding, I just love their commercials and almost all cat ones! Love Dear Kitten commercials and the cat herding!

  3. Yes, Helga, I thought about the Purina one of the Sad Cat Diaries, but I’ve never seen that on television because it’s like 3 minutes long, so I decided it didn’t count for this kind of list. But you’re right “Dear Kitten” is priceless!

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