In this age where we skip as much advertising as possible, it’s hard to think that there was a time when great commercials entertained us and even gave us joy. Sure, for every “Mean Joe Greene” spot there were 100 Crazy Eddie spots which, for all their nostalgia, are hardly high art.
Those good commercials that survived, though, are really a testament to the days when live TV begged its viewers not to leave the room — not even for a moment — and listen carefully to the messages being offered.
Their list versus my list
Adweek put together their favorite commercials of the last 15 years, but honestly that time frame is too compressed. I talked above about the “Mean Joe Greene” commercial, which many think is the best commercial of all time. It came out in 1979.
Another commercial often mentioned as a high point is Apple’s “1984” commercial. It may seem somewhat mundate at this point, but 35 years ago the idea of a commercial being so dramatic and so deep was simply revolutionary. The fact that Macs, and dramatic commercials, are still with us, tells you how revolutionary this commercial was.
There’s another commercial that’s rarely mentioned today, but it’s a personal favorite. Commercials in the 1960s and 1970s were a fairly straightforward lot, and this commercial for Alka-Seltzer was refreshing and surprising. Viewers thought it would be a commercial for tomato sauce. Instead they see what appears to be an impromptu “blooper reel.” It shows a situation when Alka-Seltzer would be needed. It’s also a reminder of the days when commercials could be a whole minute long.
Here’s one from over 40 years ago that still brings to mind hope for a better future for us all, and the song was so good that it became a #1 single, with a few words changed of course:
Times have changed
It’s not likely that we’ll see commercials of this sort again. The nature of advertising has changed. Most of us aren’t inclined to sit and stare at the TV during breaks. More and more of us are watching on demand and skipping commercials altogether. I’ll say, that’s a good thing in general. Still, looking at some of these top rated commercials, maybe it’s true that we’re leaving something behind.
