Trivia
How well do you remember the Seventies?
Advertising in the 1970s
You knew it was Christmas time when those Ronco ads started popping up on TV!
Pocket Fisherman, Inside-the-Egg Scrambler, Buttoneer, Record Vacuum and the Glass Froster are just a few of the Ronco products. But WAIT...also from Ronco: Veg-o-Matic, Food Dehydrator, Mr Micophone, Smokeless Ashtray, Bottle & Jar Cutter, Flower Loom, Cookie Machine, Rhinestone & Stud Setter, Kitchen Magician, Speed-Tufting Kit, Dial-o-Matic Spray Gun and who could forget all those record albums; I owned about a half-dozen myself...or was that K-Tel?
Ronco/Popeil was so popular, that it was picked up by Saturday Night Live; who doesn't remember Dan Ackroyd advertising the Bass-o-Matic in '76?
Even though the majority of Ronco/Popeil products were all 'battery-operated', the commercials never used those words.; instead, they opted for the term "cordless electric". The gadgets were deceptively simple in appearance, but they worked! And as 'cheap' as they were...I still own a working Pocket Fisherman AND a Veg-o-Matic.
Characters in Advertising -
Comet - Josephine the Plumber aka Jane Withers
Maytag - The lonely appliance repairman aka Jesse White
American Express - Karl Malden
Hertz - OJ Simpson
Star-Kist Tuna - Charlie the Tuna aka Herschel Bernardi
Kentucky Fried Chicken - Colonel Sanders himself
Friskies Nive Lives Cat Food - Morris the cat
Fritos Corn Chips - Frito Bandito
Mister Coffee - Joe DiMaggio
Minute Maid Orange Juice - Bing Crosby
Peter Pan Peanut Butter - Alan Sues
Skippy Peanut Butter - Annette Funicello
Sanka Coffee - Robert YOung
Polaroid Cameras - James Garner & Mariette Hartley (they were so good, that many people thought that they were really married.)
Palmolive Dishwashing Detergent - Madge the Manicurist aka Jan Miner
Charmin Bathroom Tissue - Mr George Whipple aka Dick Wilson
Life Cereal - Mikey aka John Gilchrist
Famous Advertising Lines -
Star-Kist Tuna - "Star-Kist doesn't want tuna with good taste, it wants tuna that tastes good."
Chiffon Margaine - "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature!"
Budwiser - "When you say Budweiser...you've said it all!"
Libby - "If it says Libby's Libby's Libby's on the label label label, you will like it like it like it on your table table table."
Armour - "Hot dogs, Armour hot gods, what kind of kids eat Armour hot dogs? ....."
Coca-Cola - "Id like to buy the world a Coke....."
Toitsie-Pops - "How many licks does it take to get to the Toostie-Roll center of a Tootsie-Pop? The world may never know."
McDonald's Big Mac - "Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun."
Hunts Manwich Sauce - "A sloppy-joe is a sandwich, but a Manwich is a meal!"
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups - You got chocolate in my peanut butter! Well, you got peanut butter on my chocolate! Two great tastes that taste great together....."
Green Giant - "Ho Ho Ho!...Green Giant!"
Jif Peanut Butter - "Choosy moms choose Jif."
Nestea Instant Tea - "Take the Nestea plunge!"
American Express - "Don't leave home without it!"
AT&T - "Reach out and touch someone."
Palmolive Dishwashing Detergent - "You're soaking in it!"
Wisk Laundry Detergent - "You've got ring around the collar!"
Charmin Bathroom Tissue - "Please don't squeeze the Charmin."
Alka Seltzer - "I can't believe I ate the whole thing."
Prell Shampoo - "Go from flat to fluffy."
Memorex Audio Tapes - "Is it live, or is it Memorex?"
Peter Paul Almond Joy/Mounds - "Sometimes you feel like a nut...sometimes you don't."
7up - "The uncola"
Life Cereal - "He likes it" Hey Mikey!"
Skinky - "What walks down stairs, alone or in pairs...everyone knows it's Slinky!"
Battleship - "You sank my battleship!"
Virgina Slims cigarettes- You've come a long way baby!"
Tareyton cigaretts - I'd rather fight tan switch!"
1970s Comercials on YouTube -
There are a TON of retro commericals on YouTube...so many in fact that it would take up too much space to post them all. But start here: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=4097626FEA6DB9C8 and go from there.
Farrah Fawcett was in a lot of commericals...Ultra Brite, Lady Schick Speed Styler (the famous 'Farrah Flip", Faberge Shampoo, Head & Shoulders Shampoo (with Penny Marshall), Noxema (with Joe Namath), Mercury Cougar, Adorn Hairspray to name a few.
Have fun and see how many actors/actresses got their start. Check out the 'banned' panty hose commercial.
Public Service Announcements -
No "advertising trivia" would be complete without one of the most compeling PSA/commerical of all; the 'Keep America Beautiful' featuring Iron eyes Cody: "People start polution.....people can stop it."
You knew it was Christmas time when those Ronco ads started popping up on TV!
Pocket Fisherman, Inside-the-Egg Scrambler, Buttoneer, Record Vacuum and the Glass Froster are just a few of the Ronco products. But WAIT...also from Ronco: Veg-o-Matic, Food Dehydrator, Mr Micophone, Smokeless Ashtray, Bottle & Jar Cutter, Flower Loom, Cookie Machine, Rhinestone & Stud Setter, Kitchen Magician, Speed-Tufting Kit, Dial-o-Matic Spray Gun and who could forget all those record albums; I owned about a half-dozen myself...or was that K-Tel?
Ronco/Popeil was so popular, that it was picked up by Saturday Night Live; who doesn't remember Dan Ackroyd advertising the Bass-o-Matic in '76?
Even though the majority of Ronco/Popeil products were all 'battery-operated', the commercials never used those words.; instead, they opted for the term "cordless electric". The gadgets were deceptively simple in appearance, but they worked! And as 'cheap' as they were...I still own a working Pocket Fisherman AND a Veg-o-Matic.
Characters in Advertising -
Comet - Josephine the Plumber aka Jane Withers
Maytag - The lonely appliance repairman aka Jesse White
American Express - Karl Malden
Hertz - OJ Simpson
Star-Kist Tuna - Charlie the Tuna aka Herschel Bernardi
Kentucky Fried Chicken - Colonel Sanders himself
Friskies Nive Lives Cat Food - Morris the cat
Fritos Corn Chips - Frito Bandito
Mister Coffee - Joe DiMaggio
Minute Maid Orange Juice - Bing Crosby
Peter Pan Peanut Butter - Alan Sues
Skippy Peanut Butter - Annette Funicello
Sanka Coffee - Robert YOung
Polaroid Cameras - James Garner & Mariette Hartley (they were so good, that many people thought that they were really married.)
Palmolive Dishwashing Detergent - Madge the Manicurist aka Jan Miner
Charmin Bathroom Tissue - Mr George Whipple aka Dick Wilson
Life Cereal - Mikey aka John Gilchrist
Famous Advertising Lines -
Star-Kist Tuna - "Star-Kist doesn't want tuna with good taste, it wants tuna that tastes good."
Chiffon Margaine - "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature!"
Budwiser - "When you say Budweiser...you've said it all!"
Libby - "If it says Libby's Libby's Libby's on the label label label, you will like it like it like it on your table table table."
Armour - "Hot dogs, Armour hot gods, what kind of kids eat Armour hot dogs? ....."
Coca-Cola - "Id like to buy the world a Coke....."
Toitsie-Pops - "How many licks does it take to get to the Toostie-Roll center of a Tootsie-Pop? The world may never know."
McDonald's Big Mac - "Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun."
Hunts Manwich Sauce - "A sloppy-joe is a sandwich, but a Manwich is a meal!"
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups - You got chocolate in my peanut butter! Well, you got peanut butter on my chocolate! Two great tastes that taste great together....."
Green Giant - "Ho Ho Ho!...Green Giant!"
Jif Peanut Butter - "Choosy moms choose Jif."
Nestea Instant Tea - "Take the Nestea plunge!"
American Express - "Don't leave home without it!"
AT&T - "Reach out and touch someone."
Palmolive Dishwashing Detergent - "You're soaking in it!"
Wisk Laundry Detergent - "You've got ring around the collar!"
Charmin Bathroom Tissue - "Please don't squeeze the Charmin."
Alka Seltzer - "I can't believe I ate the whole thing."
Prell Shampoo - "Go from flat to fluffy."
Memorex Audio Tapes - "Is it live, or is it Memorex?"
Peter Paul Almond Joy/Mounds - "Sometimes you feel like a nut...sometimes you don't."
7up - "The uncola"
Life Cereal - "He likes it" Hey Mikey!"
Skinky - "What walks down stairs, alone or in pairs...everyone knows it's Slinky!"
Battleship - "You sank my battleship!"
Virgina Slims cigarettes- You've come a long way baby!"
Tareyton cigaretts - I'd rather fight tan switch!"
1970s Comercials on YouTube -
There are a TON of retro commericals on YouTube...so many in fact that it would take up too much space to post them all. But start here: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=4097626FEA6DB9C8 and go from there.
Farrah Fawcett was in a lot of commericals...Ultra Brite, Lady Schick Speed Styler (the famous 'Farrah Flip", Faberge Shampoo, Head & Shoulders Shampoo (with Penny Marshall), Noxema (with Joe Namath), Mercury Cougar, Adorn Hairspray to name a few.
Have fun and see how many actors/actresses got their start. Check out the 'banned' panty hose commercial.
Public Service Announcements -
No "advertising trivia" would be complete without one of the most compeling PSA/commerical of all; the 'Keep America Beautiful' featuring Iron eyes Cody: "People start polution.....people can stop it."
1970s Fads & Fun -
Billy Beer - Billy Carter (the President's brother had a beer named for him. Forward-thinking collectors hoarded cases of Billy Beer, think it would someday be valuable.
Clackers - A set of Clackers consisteed of two acrylic balls hanging from a ring. Maneuvering the ring made the balls swing around and click together. Newton's Cradle, a desktop version of the Clackers ustilizing Newton's laws of momentum and energy. Clackers were pulled from the market in 1971 because of numerous reports of injuries.
Streaking - Taking off your clothes and running naked through public places was one of the biggest fads of 1974. Ray Stevens even recorded a song about it called "The Streak".
Mood Rings - The Mood Ring was invented by Joshua Reynolds, marketing whiz and heir to the RJ Reynolds fortune. The ring contain a heat-sensitive liquid crystal encased in quartz. As the body temperature of the wear changed, the crystal changed colors. Do you remember what the colors meant?
Arts & Crafts -
Games -
Vehicles, Sports & Actions Toys -
Billy Beer - Billy Carter (the President's brother had a beer named for him. Forward-thinking collectors hoarded cases of Billy Beer, think it would someday be valuable.
Clackers - A set of Clackers consisteed of two acrylic balls hanging from a ring. Maneuvering the ring made the balls swing around and click together. Newton's Cradle, a desktop version of the Clackers ustilizing Newton's laws of momentum and energy. Clackers were pulled from the market in 1971 because of numerous reports of injuries.
Streaking - Taking off your clothes and running naked through public places was one of the biggest fads of 1974. Ray Stevens even recorded a song about it called "The Streak".
Mood Rings - The Mood Ring was invented by Joshua Reynolds, marketing whiz and heir to the RJ Reynolds fortune. The ring contain a heat-sensitive liquid crystal encased in quartz. As the body temperature of the wear changed, the crystal changed colors. Do you remember what the colors meant?
Some other 'groovy' fads included:
- Chia Pets - Smiley Faces
- Skateboarding - Lava Lamps
- Pet Rocks - Sea Monkeys
- Beer Can Collecting - Ouija Boards
- Holly Hobbie - CB Radios
- Pop Rocks - View-Master
- Slinky - Legos
- Nerf - Silly Putty
- Cat's Cradle - Paper Fortune-Tellers
- Chia Pets - Smiley Faces
- Skateboarding - Lava Lamps
- Pet Rocks - Sea Monkeys
- Beer Can Collecting - Ouija Boards
- Holly Hobbie - CB Radios
- Pop Rocks - View-Master
- Slinky - Legos
- Nerf - Silly Putty
- Cat's Cradle - Paper Fortune-Tellers
Arts & Crafts -
- Lite Brite - String Art
- Spirograph - Spin-Art
- Etch-a-Sketch - Knit Magic
- Fashion Plates - Sand Art
- Weaving Looms - Play-Doh
- Spirograph - Spin-Art
- Etch-a-Sketch - Knit Magic
- Fashion Plates - Sand Art
- Weaving Looms - Play-Doh
- Wood Burning - Thingmaker
Games -
- Trouble - Twister
- Mastermind - Battleship
- Cootie - Life
- Simon - Toss Across
- Yahtzee - Stratego
- Mystery Date - Operation
- Mousetrap - Connect Four
- Stay Alive - Ants In The Pants
- Don't Break The Ice - Don't Spill The Beans
- Headache
- Mastermind - Battleship
- Cootie - Life
- Simon - Toss Across
- Yahtzee - Stratego
- Mystery Date - Operation
- Mousetrap - Connect Four
- Stay Alive - Ants In The Pants
- Don't Break The Ice - Don't Spill The Beans
- Headache
Vehicles, Sports & Actions Toys -
- Hot Wheels - Big Wheels
- Air Hockey - Tether Ball
- Air Hockey - Tether Ball
- Banana-Seat Bikes - 10-Speed Bikes
- Rockem Sockem Robots - Whiffle Balls
- Hacky Sack - Smash-Up Derby Cars
- Spip ‘n Slide
The year was 1979 -
Cost of Living -
- Inflation: 11.2%
- Dow Jones: 838
- Interest Rates: 15.25%
- New House: $58,100
- Income: $17,500
- Minimum Wage: $2.90/hour
- Rent: $280
- Gas: 86 cents/gallon
Events -
- For the first time in history, a woman, Margaret Thatcher is elected Prime Minister in the United Kingdom.
- SALT II Arms Limitation Talks signed by US and USSR
- Due to crisis in Iran, oil prices increase around the world and the public begins panic buying making things worse.
- During the "Death to the Klan March" organised by communist supporters in Greensboro, NC, white supremists open fire killing fire marchers
- Eleven fans are killed and dozens are injured at a The Who concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, OH.
- Three Mile Island, a nuclear plan in Pennsylvania, a reactor catches fire almost causing a 'meltdown'.
- It snowed in the Sahara Desert for almost 30 minutes.
- 13 tornadoes ripped through Texas and Oklahoma.
- Pope John Paul II wisits his native Poland, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country.
- The first British nudist beach is established in Brighton.
- Egypt's Anwar Sadat and Isreal's Mecachem Begin sign the first peace treaty between an Arab nation and the Jewish state.
- China institutes the 'one child per family' rule to help control it's exploding population.
- The price of oil reaches a new record of $24/barrel.
Technology -
- As technology becomes smaller, Sona released the "Walkman" (portable cassette player), a world wide success costing $200.
- The first Snowboard is invented in the US.
- VisiCalc becomes the first 'spreadsheet' program
- Voyager I photos reveal Jupiter's rings
- The European Space Agency launches Ariane 1
- The first commercial cellular network is invented by NTT
Popular Culture -
- YMCA sues the Village People for libel because of their song of the same name.
- Sid Vicious, a former member of the Sex Pistols dies due to a herioin overdose during his trial for mudering his girlfriend.
- Pink Floyd release the multi-award winning concept album "The Wall".
- The game "Trivial Pursuit" is launched.
- The first Bungee Jump is performed by a group from the Oxford University Dangerous Sports Club jumped from the Clifton Suspension Bridge joining England and Wales.
Popular Films -
- Superman The Movie
- Every Which Way But Loose
- Rocky II
- Alien
- The Amityville Hrror
- Star Trek: The Motion Picture
- Moonracker
- The Muppet Movie
- The Deer Hunter
- Kramer vs. Kramer
Popular Television -
- All My Children
- M*A*S*H
- The Price Is Right
- The Waltons
- Happy Days
- Little House on the Prairie
- Saturday Night Live
- Charlie's Angels
- Family Fued
- Quincy
- The Love Boat
- Three's Company
- Dallas
- Diff'rent Strokes
- Mork and Mindy
- Taxi
Cost of Living -
- Inflation: 11.2%
- Dow Jones: 838
- Interest Rates: 15.25%
- New House: $58,100
- Income: $17,500
- Minimum Wage: $2.90/hour
- Rent: $280
- Gas: 86 cents/gallon
Events -
- For the first time in history, a woman, Margaret Thatcher is elected Prime Minister in the United Kingdom.
- SALT II Arms Limitation Talks signed by US and USSR
- Due to crisis in Iran, oil prices increase around the world and the public begins panic buying making things worse.
- During the "Death to the Klan March" organised by communist supporters in Greensboro, NC, white supremists open fire killing fire marchers
- Eleven fans are killed and dozens are injured at a The Who concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, OH.
- Three Mile Island, a nuclear plan in Pennsylvania, a reactor catches fire almost causing a 'meltdown'.
- It snowed in the Sahara Desert for almost 30 minutes.
- 13 tornadoes ripped through Texas and Oklahoma.
- Pope John Paul II wisits his native Poland, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country.
- The first British nudist beach is established in Brighton.
- Egypt's Anwar Sadat and Isreal's Mecachem Begin sign the first peace treaty between an Arab nation and the Jewish state.
- China institutes the 'one child per family' rule to help control it's exploding population.
- The price of oil reaches a new record of $24/barrel.
Technology -
- As technology becomes smaller, Sona released the "Walkman" (portable cassette player), a world wide success costing $200.
- The first Snowboard is invented in the US.
- VisiCalc becomes the first 'spreadsheet' program
- Voyager I photos reveal Jupiter's rings
- The European Space Agency launches Ariane 1
- The first commercial cellular network is invented by NTT
Popular Culture -
- YMCA sues the Village People for libel because of their song of the same name.
- Sid Vicious, a former member of the Sex Pistols dies due to a herioin overdose during his trial for mudering his girlfriend.
- Pink Floyd release the multi-award winning concept album "The Wall".
- The game "Trivial Pursuit" is launched.
- The first Bungee Jump is performed by a group from the Oxford University Dangerous Sports Club jumped from the Clifton Suspension Bridge joining England and Wales.
Popular Films -
- Superman The Movie
- Every Which Way But Loose
- Rocky II
- Alien
- The Amityville Hrror
- Star Trek: The Motion Picture
- Moonracker
- The Muppet Movie
- The Deer Hunter
- Kramer vs. Kramer
Popular Television -
- All My Children
- M*A*S*H
- The Price Is Right
- The Waltons
- Happy Days
- Little House on the Prairie
- Saturday Night Live
- Charlie's Angels
- Family Fued
- Quincy
- The Love Boat
- Three's Company
- Dallas
- Diff'rent Strokes
- Mork and Mindy
- Taxi