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Top 10 Local Los Angeles Television Commercials of the 1970s

The Media Guy — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 14:47:00 +0000

Okay, so where am I?

I just finished my judging assignment for the Telly Awards and while there are so great spots deserving of some of the top spots, most left my wanting for a bygone era where commercials that I watched on independent local Los Angeles channels inspired me to become one of those Madison Avenue ad men.

As an 11-time winner, I am Proud to serve as a #Telly Jury Council Member for the @tellyawards 40th anniversary, and lend my insights to help review this year’s best video work! There’s still time to enter your work too. https://t.co/QoA4udO00X pic.twitter.com/3HnxclrlXh

— Michael Lloyd (@MarketingVIP) February 19, 2019

The 1970s had some iconic local spots and I would watch the ABC Afternoon Movie of the Day mostly to watch the commercials before homework, chores and cooking (yes, I was the de facto chef for multiple households back then. The afternoon movie was a popular practice of local television stations from the 1950s through the 1970s, consisting of the daily weekday showing of old films usually between 4:30 and 6:30 P.M. If the film ran two hours or more, it was split into two parts (to be continued really stunk before DVRs and VCRs).

I needed a fix, so I compiled a near complete list of the best commercial spots to appear in Los Angeles in my formative years. My trip down memory lane produced 11 commercials. The dialogue from the last spot will blow you away.

Enjoy the good times…

Number 1
Universal Studios Tour
Featuring Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock freaked me out, but always got my attention. His celebrity knew no boundaries having cameos in all of his movies and a creepy voice to boot. I lived literally across the street from Universal Studios and I wanted to go there every time I saw this ad; and why wouldn’t I? To keep up the entertainment value of the tour (and to compete with Disneyland), Universal Studios adding fixed attractions to the tour, beginning with the Flash Flood in 1968, the Parting of the Red Sea (from The Ten Commandments and, uh, the Bible) in 1973, the Collapsing Bridge in 1974, and the Ice Tunnel in 1975. In 1976, Universal added what would become its biggest tour attraction to that date: Jaws. Based on Steven Spielberg’s break-out hit Jaws recreated the village of Amity from the movie, with a 25-foot animatronic shark emerging from the water to attack the tram.

Number 2
Zachary All
I swear this spot ran during every other commercial break. Edward G. Nalbandian was the clothing king of the Miracle Mile. His storefront was the stuff of legend.

Number 3
Earl Sheib Auto Painting
He could paint any car, any time, for $49.95…and $10 free metal work. Who could say no to this offer?

Number 4
Cal Worthington “My Dog Spot”
For nearly a twenty-five years, from the 1960s until the 1990s, Worthington ran a series of offbeat television and radio advertisements for his auto dealerships patterned loosely after the pioneering “oddball” advertisements of Earl “Madman” Muntz. They began as a parody of a competitor who appeared in advertisements with a puppy recently adopted from the pound. They were known as the “My Dog Spot” ads because each commercial would introduce “Cal Worthington and his dog Spot!” However, the “dog” was never a dog. In most cases, it was an exotic animal being led around on a leash, such as a tiger or elephant.

Number 5
RTD
The bus system in Los Angeles produced a commercial that fed on the stereotypes of LA traffic. Funny thing about this ad is that if you rode the bus you would still have sit in traffic. But that didn’t matter if an alluring model fed you a breakfast apple from the seat next to you and if you were easily saving a thousand dollars a year!

Number 6
Jerseymaid Singing Cows
A catchy country tune straight from the farm would have you imitating this spot at recess the next day at school. But why didn’t they have chocolate frozen yogurt and only strawberry. No kid ever ate strawberry. I never got an answer.

Number 7
Aames Home Loan
Character actor Patrick Campbell was forever in trouble with his finances and always accompanied by his faithful chicken. I bet I saw this spot fifteen hundred times in the seventies to the point where I could still remember this entire spot, word for word. Look at the way the copy flows from the announcer’s voice:

If you’ve got problems and you feel like there’s no relief in sight…

Get out the yellow pages because there somebody in there who can help you borrow thousands of dollars on your home.

Aames Home Loan.

Number 8
Pup ‘n’ Taco Train
One of the first cheap fast-food chains to integrate American food and Mexican food on their menus, the media buyers at Pup ‘n’ Taco practically invented the remnant spot with their :10 second commercials that drove you back into your regular-scheduled programming. More bang for your buck. Taco Bell scooped up their 99 locations in 1984 and they ceased operations.

Number 9
Continental Airlines Wide Body DC-10
Featuring Vin Scully

Smooth as silk, Vin takes you from the ballpark seats to airline seats. Great copy is the touchtone for the spokesperson commercial in this one.

Number 10
Swanson Hungry-Man Dinner
Featuring Steve Garvey and Tommy LaSorda of the Dodgers

I don’t know what the record is for holding a product close to your face in a television commercial, but this one has to be at the top of the charts.

Honorable Mention
Must Inappropriate Dialogue of All Time
Ralph Williams Bay Shore Car
Although from Northern California, Ralph got his start in Los Angeles and this is an all-time classic that really aired:

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Stage Fright

The Media Guy — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 08:38:00 +0000

I remember the first time I had to speak in front of a big crowd. It
was 1993 at the New York City’s Marriott Marquis. Epson was giving me their MVP
Award for an advertising campaign and the luncheon was filled with 1,000 or so
industry mucky-mucks and some of the holdovers from the Mad Men era were in
attendance. The only thing I that saved me from passing out was playing Alfred Hitchcock’s 1950 classic Stage Fright over in my head.

Stage Fright
starred a young Mrs. Ronald Reagan (Jane Wyman) and Marlene Dietrich focusing on Wyman’s
search to prove her friend’s innocence and a cameo by Hitchcock. I kept telling
myself if the unattractive penguin (sorry Sir Alfred!) could overcome his own
stage fright and appear in his own movie then I could speak for ten minutes to
a bunch of starch collars about a campaign I had poured my heart and soul into
for the past year. And, just like that I never looked back. Now I can speak to
anyone about everything.

But certainly there has to be a better way, right? That’s
when I ran into award-winning film director, producer and writer Dr. Richard R.
Reichel whom recently penned the new book, “Everybody is an Actor,”
(www.everybodyisanactor.com), a guide to achieving success in the film industry
and in life.

MEDIA GUY: More
confidence, less stress, discovering inner resources, improving relationships
– there are thousands of self-help books to help us accomplish these, but do
they work?

DR. REICHEL: Self-help
strategies can work, as far as they go, but they don’t address a key component
that affects everything from how we feel about ourselves to how successfully we
interact with others.

MG: What’s the
key component to make it all work?

DR. R: That
key component is the fact that we’re all actors — at work, school, home, even
alone in front of the bathroom mirror. We’re always playing the character of
‘Me,’ but we also have to play other characters. The better we are at it, the
happier and more successful we’ll be.

MG: What
exactly is stage fright and how does it affect the psyche?

DR. R: Stage fright undermines concentration and
we lose our character objective. Why do so many people cower in light of their dreams?
Why do they procrastinate on getting their degree? Why do they tremble at the
thought of approaching Mr. or Ms. Right? It’s because of stage fright.

To overcome stage fright, Dr. Reichel offers these tips
from the Psychophantic System he developed to mold both life and film actors:

Control stress with a “mind walk” and “confocal
contemplation.” Today, stress is associated with a variety of chronic
illnesses. In addition to regular exercise and sleep nourishment, consider a
“mind walk,” or a pleasant thought that stops the stress and replaces it with something
positive. In the same vein, practice “confocal contemplation” by allowing your
mind to wander into a cloudlet of peace and relaxing your body. Then, while
thoughts are peacefully drifting, flex your feet, ankles, calves, shins, knees,
buttocks and hips – and release. Feel the weight of your entire body while your
mind remains free, and repeat the exercise.
Practice projecting your emotions. How many times have
you daydreamed about how you will express yourself when a particular situation
arises? In the same way, we need to rehearse how we project our emotions in social
situations. Try practicing emotional expression in front of a trusted friend or
loved one. If someone has made you happy and joyous, rehearse how to show them
in the moment. Showing love and laughter can strengthen bonds, and learning how
to express anger, sorrow and fear in appropriate ways will improve your ability
to communicate and foster understanding.
Winning your audience by emphasizing character
strengths. No one is good at everything, but everyone is good at something. In
order to get what you want in life, you simply need to do what you’re good at.
Your audience may be an employer, coworkers, family or a potential date. Can you
make them laugh, understand or otherwise feel deeply what you’re expressing? Appealing
to their emotional responses can go far. Keep in mind the hearts and minds of
your audience, including the setting and what they must be experiencing during
the “performance.” Be aware of your vocal projection and body language. You
will be remembered for your performance, which will lead you to better roles
and, in the case of daily living, better relationships.

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The Writer’s Office

The Media Guy — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 23:18:00 +0000

The writer is a peculiar animal. And when the mechanics of crafting that perfect piece of literature, a script or speech for a local politician, it’s rarely a routine method. Each writer has his own panache, knack and tolerances. But if there’s one thing virtually any writer just can’t do without, it’s the writers’ room.

I found a stimulating choice for a writer’s room. One that’s ideal even if your budget is tight and you have two left hands when it comes to home improvement. The Burd Haward Architects’ self-assembled, pre-fabricated kit is available for around $7500. Just add foliage to grow to conceal the recessed ply façade and roof.

This cozy space recalls some spaces for writers that produced some awe-inspiring work:

Leo Tolstoy’s writing desk

Innovative rotunda for National Geographic’s Wade Davis

Alfred Hitchcock with writer Pete Martin. 1957.

William Faulkner’s trusty typewriter in his Oxford, MS home office.

An aspiring writer at Shakespeare & Co.

Ray Bradbury in his office.

Books aplenty in food writer’s Nigella Lawson’s writer’s office.

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