What better way to build momentum toward Christmas than by watching some old television commercials that remind us of the days when things felt slower, and we had more time to enjoy the Christmas season?
I often talk about how I enjoy watching "found footage" on YouTube, which is someone's old home videos. The real prize is the commercials still on the tape. Shows and movies are saved on DVD or a streaming service, but commercials are the real time capsule. They aren't saved anywhere except by the wonderful people who digitize old videos and put them on YouTube.
Earlier this year, I sent some old family VHS tapes to a service to get digitized, and on one of the videos I got back, there were a bunch of old shows that I had recorded as a kid: The Wonder Years, I Love Lucy, and even the Adam West version of Batman.
That was cool enough, but even better, the commercials were still there! I remembered most of them thanks to the enormous amount of time I spent watching television. Based on the shows I recorded and my memory of when I most often watched them together, I can pretty much guess that they were recorded over the summer.
How cool would it have been to get some Christmas commercials on those tapes?
Ah, well.
That's what we're here for now! Those Christmas commercials would always kick off the festive spirit at the beginning of the season or perhaps keep the festivities alive as we entered the mid-season doldrums. What made those Christmas specials that we looked forward to even more special? The slew of Christmas-themed commercials!
Even the car commercials got into the act! As a kid, I hated the endless displays of shiny new cars making their way through winding, snow covered roads to secretly arrive in time for Christmas morning (with a giant red bow, too!). I always had to laugh, because how could anyone go through the awful process of buying a new car and having it delivered... but still keep it a secret?
One of the nice things about commercials from years ago is that they remind me of a different time or specific memory. You probably can't name a single commercial today except that bent carrot one... and you know what one. Since commercials are all for pharmaceuticals (including the carrot one), they aren't that memorable anymore.
I'd place a bet in Vegas, though, that you could sing at least 3 jingles from ads when you were a kid. I have written several articles about commercials from yesteryear, which you can head over to the "Collections" page and check out.
I'd also like to take this time for my annual reminder of the 2010/2011 Christmas season, when we were tortured by the so-annoying-and-awful-it's-actually-great Hyundai commercials that featured the band "Pomplamoose."
Don't remember? Check it out below!
Those commercials will haunt me forever, and now that Pomplamoose is firmly stuck in your head, too, please keep reading as we look at this year's FIVE CLASSIC CHRISTMAS COMMERCIALS: PART FOUR!
1. Folger's Coffee - "Peter Comes Home For Christmas" (1986)
A new version of the ad was launched in 2009, with Peter coming home to a very excited teenage sister, which Peter happily claims "is all grown up now." The commercial went semi-viral because most viewers deemed it an unusually intimate relationship for siblings. If you search YouTube for "Peter Comes Home 2009," you'll quickly find it. I'm sure it was meant to be innocent, but it's a little unsettling how the two keep flirtatiously glancing and grinning at each other while the coffee brews.
2. Coca-Cola's Polar Bear "Northern Lights"
Ken Stewart, the creator of the commercial, was inspired by his fluffy Labrador Retriever puppy, which his family thought resembled a baby polar bear. In the late 90s, bear cubs were added to the family in a commercial where the family selects a Christmas tree. The success of these commercials has caused Coca-Cola to use polar bears every season to get us in the soda-drinking holiday spirit.
3. Campbell's Soup's "Melting Snowman"
This heartwarming commercial was a staple of the mid-90s and deserves its spot at the top of any holiday commercial list. A cold, shivering snowman comes inside and warms up over a bowl of steaming hot Campbell's soup, which melts the snow away to reveal a happy little boy underneath the icy exterior.
I'm sure this commercial inspired thousands of children (and parents) to down a bowl of Campbell's soup the second they could get their wet boots off after playing outside in the snow. I'm sure some kids even wanted to play outside JUST to get a bowl of soup afterward!
4. Corona Beer's "O Tannen-Palm" (1990)
This nearly 35-year-old commercial adds a tropical fun twist to Christmas. It's a very simple commercial: a palm tree decorated with festive string lights shining in the darkness while a person (off camera) whistles the tune to "O' Tannenbaum" nearby.
It's quite peaceful, but according to Mike Rogers, the advertisement's creator, the filming was anything but. Alligators were swarming nearby, and not only was it dangerous, but they also struggled to keep them out of the shot.
They got the job done by promising the terrified cameraman he could go set up the camera, turn it on, and run away until they were done filming. Corona still uses the advertisement today.
5. Budweiser's Holiday Greetings featuring The Budweiser Clydesdale Horses (1987)
This classic Budweiser ad from the late 1980s stars the famous Budweiser Clydesdale horses. In it, the beautiful horses dash through the snow, delivering a giant Christmas tree. It's a classic that aired for over a decade and one that many look back on fondly with happy Christmas feelings.
Budweiser first introduced the Clysdale horses in 1933 to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition. They were used in numerous advertisements and became synonymous with Superbowl and Christmas advertisements. In 2023, PETA publically charged Budweiser with animal cruelty over claims of tail docking, and the horses have been used significantly less ever since.
.png)
Comments