Insights, observations, cheap gags.
When you think of Valentine’s Day you think about chocolates and flowers, right? Well I don’t. No sir, I think tires! And I’m not the only one, if this 1952 ad for General Tire (from The Saturday Evening Post) is any indication.
So fellas, if you’re still stuck for V-Day ideas and it’s zero hour, consider a set of these beauties for the lady in your life. Just don’t be surprised if she tries to run you down after they’re installed.
So what was all the fuss over? Turns out that Focus on the Family Super Bowl ad with Tim Tebow and his mommy didn’t strike quite the confrontational tone the media had speculated (shocker). But one thing that jumped right out at me is this:
Huh? Since when did they start handing out Heisman Trophies to family members too? I bet those two have one of those annoying “joint” email addresses too. Barf.
As a middle-class white male, I know I’m not really in much of a position to bitch about being overlooked or disadvantaged. Still, I’ll admit feeling a bit like the odd man out when one of my (formerly) favorite fast food establishments, McDonald’s, launched their “I’m Lovin’ It” ad campaign in 2003. Few things are more transparent and painful than when a business makes an obvious attempt to pander to minorities, because they usually do such a piss poor job.
Oh sure, fast food chains targeting black people is nothing new, so that’s no big deal in and of itself. But historically for TV ads, it seems the chains had their regular campaigns and then they had their “black” ads, replete with awful R&B-esque music and sad attempts to look hip. But McDonald’s took it to a whole new level with “I’m Lovin’ It”, which featured a rapping soccer mom in one early spot. Oh yeah, and this gem, which aired in Russia:
Now that’s commitment to a campaign.
So anyway, as much as I hated – nay, loathed – this lame campaign for years, I can’t help but chuckle at Mickey D’s attempt to show their love for African-Americans on the web. That’s right, their is a McDonald’s website just for black people – 365BLACK! It’s the one place on the web, I guess, where black people who don’t want their fast food experience to end with diarrhea can hang out and check out just how much McDonald’s cares about them. After all:
At McDonald’s®, we believe that African-American culture and achievement should be celebrated 365 days a year — not just during Black History Month. That’s the idea behind 365Black.com. It’s a place where you can learn more about education, employment, career advancement and entrepreneurship opportunities, and meet real people whose lives have been touched by McDonald’s. Plus, you can also have a chance to win exciting once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. So make sure you visit often — you just might get inspired.
Like the unique African Baobab tree, which nourishes its community with its leaves and fruit, McDonald’s has branched out to the African-American community nourishing it with valuable programs and opportunities.
Hmmm, I wonder if any of those valuable programs and opportunities mention anything about the dangerously high obesity rates for African-Americans in this country? Nope. Well at least they probably have regularly scheduled special events to emphasize the special relationship McDonald’s has with the black community. Oops. It seems like there hasn’t been anything new for black people to celebrate since the Essence Music Festival in July 2009. I guess in the meantime you could head over to the company’s sites for Asians (Myinspirasian) or Hispanics (MeEncanta).
Thanks for marginalizing me McDonald’s. So where can I, as a white person, connect with an eating establishment that truly cares about my white needs and white eating preferences? I think that should be obvious.
You know what’s even more awesome than the fact that Winston cigarettes sponsored a cartoon? The fact that the main characters, as was the custom for TV shows of the ’50s and early ’60s, appeared in ads actually smoking them. Behold, an infamous Winston spot from The Flintstones, circa 1960-61:
See, I told you it was awesome. Even better, and almost lost in the clouds of secondhand smoke, is that little gem of pre-Women’s Lib chauvinism that starts the ad. As Wilma and Betty toil in the yard, Fred has a brilliant idea – “Let’s go around back where we can’t see ‘em!” He’s like Don Draper in an animal pelt.
Winston, who also sponsored The Beverly Hillbillies around the same time, pulled its sponsorship from The Flintstones when Wilma became pregnant. I guess even tobacco companies have to draw the line somewhere.
Oh wait, no they don’t.
In terms of marketability, Thanksgiving is important mostly because its end marks the official kickoff of the Christmas shopping season (aka Black Friday). That distinction is becoming more and more meaningless, however, as most stores now trot out their Christmas crap before Halloween. So in that sense, Thanksgiving is really more of a transitional holiday than an end in itself. That’s reflected in advertising for the day, which has a bit of a haphazard feel.
It stands to reason that since Thanksgiving involves gorging, Campbell’s tries to get in on the action. So we have a pair of ads here. The first is straightforward enough, extolling the virtues of turkey noodle soup. And dig that mod outfit! (Campbell’s, 1970)
OK, can someone explain to me how tomato soup (or cream of tomato for that matter) fits in with turkey dinner? And yes, I see the “Soup makes the whole meal taste better” tagline. Oh well, at least the iconic Campbell’s character design is present. (Campbell’s, 1923)
Before today I had never even heard of Craig Powerplay, but would’ve guessed he was a legendary hockey player. In fact, it’s the name for a line of automotive stereo equipment produced by (you guessed it) Craig. Back around 1977/78 Craig ran an ad campaign for its Powerplay products featuring a rather diverse group of musicians – Ray Charles, the Beach Boys, and Billy Preston to name a few. This one calls upon the star power of prog rock giants Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
You probably don’t recognize the group without capes or satin kimonos, but that’s them alright.
The General Mills Corporation started producing a little-known, citrus-flavored drink mix called Tang in 1959. It sold pretty poorly for more than half a decade, until the company noticed that it was being used by NASA’s Gemini space program. They latched onto that as a marketing angle, and fifty years later Tang is still synonymous with outer space and astronauts. So much so that many people mistakenly believe that Tang was developed for the space program.
It didn’t take long for General Mills to cash in on the 1969 moon landing, as this ad demonstrates:
Notice the little blurb at the bottom that says “Chosen for Apollo astronauts in outer space”? Makes for a great sales pitch, except it’s not entirely true. According to both Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, Tang was not on board during the Apollo 11 mission (which, let’s face it, is the only one people care about besides Apollo 13). But hey, why let facts get in the way of good marketing?
