11 Classic Alka Seltzer Ads

11. Mamma Mia That's a Spicy Meatball - The 1969 Classic Alka Seltzer Commercial

The classic ad directed by Howard Zieff features what could very well be my own sweet grandparents and some spicy meatballs right front Nonna's kitchen.

10. Alka-Seltzer, 1972 - "I Can't Believe I Ate The Whole Thing"

Ralph can't believe he ate the whole thing, and just to reassure him his darling with is there to remind him he did.

9. The Vintage "Speedy" sings Oh What A Relieve It is


8. No Matter What Shape Your Stomach Is In, Alka Seltzer is there for you.

This commercial first aired in the fall of 1964 and then later again in color in early 1966.

7. Alka Seltzer's Talking Stomach

Gene Wilder is the voice of the "stomach" in this commercial, and it was designed and animated by R.O. Blechman, first aired in 1967.

6. Alka Seltzer's Invents The Blues and Calls it The Blahs

Another brilliant animated spot featuring the voice of Gene Wilder.

5. When You Eat Something You Shouldn't Have...

...and then get on a boat Alka Seltzer is there for ya. This ad featured the voice over by by Sir Donald Sinden.

4. The Bad Cook...Alka Seltzer Concurs Love For You

This gem featured a young couple played by Alice Playten and Terry Kiser. Ah the dumplings.

3. The Inmate's Want Their Alka Seltzer Now

From around 1968ish, one of favorite Seltzer ads.

2. Timmy Rogers and Sammy Davis Jr. Do The Plop Plop Fizz Fizz

From 1978, Sammy enlightens Timmy to the benefits of Alka Seltzer when you eat and play too hard.

1. A Little History Recap On The Good Old Plop Plop Fizz Fizz From CBS.

Over 80 years ago, Miles Laboratories introduced a new antacid, Alka Seltzer and all these years later we still reach for it when our stomachs give us trouble.

The Ads are in no particular order or preference, just some gems I enjoy sitting back and watching occasionally. Most of the Alka Seltzer ads are the work of the ad agencies: Wells, Rich, Greene; Jack Tinker & Partners and Doyle Dane Bernbach.

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Remembering Elizabeth Taylor as an Advertising Icon

With Elizabeth Taylor's recent passing at the age of 79, the advertising world lost one of the pioneers of celebrity endorsements. The Oscar winning actress created some of the most memorable print ads dating back to the 1940's, as the Hollywood starlet lent her unmistakable image to such brands as Max Factor, Whitman's chocolate, and of course diamonds. She is also credited for being the first celebrity to create her own fragrance, which is now a mainstay for most A-List stars  of today. The advertising world will miss one of the originals.

Wendy's Ad 'Fluffy Bun' Asks the Now Famous Question "Where's the Beef".

The now famous catch phrase "Where's the Beef" was first uttered from an unlikely pop culture icon back in 1984. Wendy's classic ad's premise was a simple one, it featured 3 old lady's ordering and examining a fictional competitor's hamburger which resulted in actress Clara Peller to angrily exclaim the now legendary line. The phrase was then used in television shows, songs, and even a US Presidential Campaign and will go down in history as one of the most memorable slogans in advertising history.

Credits:
Advertising Agency: Dancer Fitzgerald Sample
Director: Joe Sedelmaier

Classic Coke Ad Teaches the World to Sing

This iconic ad first came out in 1971 during a time of war and unrest and it quickly touched a chord with people with it's message of peace. The famous TV ad campaign has been remade several times since, but just like Coke itself - nothing compares to the original. Like the group of Hilltop singers who first sang the legendary "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing,", it was special moment in time.

Get a 'Close Encounter' with a Classic Pepsi Ad

When Pepsi released their 1984 now classic ad 'Close Encounter', aliens and UFO's were all the rage thanks to Steven Spielberg and his blockbuster movies E.T. and Close Encounters. Pepsi capitalized on the trend and made a memorable spot that pays homage to both films. As part of Pepsi's huge marketing campaign 'The Choice of a New Generation', this TV ad was an important component in Pepsi's strategy to take market share from Coca-Cola.

Oscar Mayer's Kid In 'My Bologna Has A First Name'

Move over Mikey there's a new kid in town and he's sings too. This cute 70's TV spot features one of the catchiest commercial jingles in "My bologna has a first name". Even "Wierd Al" Yankovic did a parody song with 'My Bologna' to the tune of 'My Sharona'. The cute little kid who stars in the ad was 4 year old Andy Lambros.

Classic Maxell Ad featuring the "Blown-Away Guy"

When Maxell first produced advertisements infamously known as "Blown Away Guy" for its line of audio cassettes tapes in the ealry 80's, little did they know it would become an iconic advert in both print and TV. Photographer Steve Steigman created a minimalistic ad using the music of Richard Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" to great effect. The ad has been spoofed ever since from Family Guy to the John Ritter movie Stay Tuned.

Life Cereal Mikey Commercial | He Likes It He Really Likes It

Life Cereal "Mikey" He Likes It Hey Mikey!
Two hundred million of us fell in love with the freckle-faced little Mikey whose older brothers made him a guinea pig for a new Life cereal in this incredibly popular commercial. On a personal note and at the risk of aging myself it was this commercial that started my love for advertising.
Quaker Oats Life Cereal
Agency: Doyle Dane Bernbach
Writer: Bob Levinson
1972-1987

1984 Apple SuperBowl Ad Introducing The Mac

In 1984, back when the Macintosh was considered a subversive, counter-culture tool (which of course it was), Apple Computer launched the Mac with a single broadcast of the now famous $1.5 million commercial based on George Orwell's 1984, and directed by Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven).The commercial was broadcast during the 1984 Super Bowl XVIII. Steve Jobs' intention with the ad was to equate Big Brother with the IBM PCand a nameless female action hero, portrayed by Anya Major, with the Macintosh. The 1984 Apple ad was a subset of Ridley's direction of Blade Runner, starring Harrison Ford.

Today Blade Runner is considered one of the most important science fiction films of the 20th century and is usually discussed along with William Gibson's novel Neuromancer as initiating the cyberpunk genre.

Scott personally supervised a digitally restored Blade Runner and approved the Final Cut, which is to be finally released in 2007.