Among Other Things: Old ad songs and slogans

Despite the endless blitz of advertising in television, I really wonder if today’s messages have the “staying power” that some of the ads of the 1938-1970 period did. So many TV ads today have such short attention spans, flashing scenes, sometimes I’m not sure what products or services are being promoted.

Some of the products advertised in yesteryear still stick in my mind – particularly if they had some words and music to them. For instance, how many older readers remember these?

“Pepsi-Cola hits the spot, 12 full ounces, that’s a lot, twice as much for a nickel, too. Pepsi-Cola is the drink for you.”

It took a few years but Coca-Cola countered with a choral musical ad, “I’d like to buy the world a Coke...”

Ad writers suggested “Drink Dr. Pepper at 10, 2 and 4.”

A hair care ditty went “Halo Shampoo, Halooooo.” Families heading home on a Sunday afternoon drive of 10 listened on the car radio to the Fitch Bandwagon and its selections of popular music. Brylcreem advertising advised – and still does – “A little dab’ll do ya.”

Cigarette companies had memorable slogans. “LSMFT – Lucky Strike means fine tobacco. When a large percentage of cigarette production went to the armed forces, some manufacturers urged smokers to be patient, “Lucky Strike Green has gone to war.” Camel cigarette ads advised “I’d walk a mile for a Camel.” Also, during World War 2, Wings cigarette packages contained small picture cards of military and civilian airplanes.

Dinah Shore’s 1953 theme song was “See the U.S.A. in your new Chevrolet...”

A few more examples:

Soap, too, had some long lasting slogans: “Lifebuoy really stops B – O.”

Swan soap: “Well, I Swan…Doesn’t everybody?”

Was it Rinso that warned of “Ring around the collar?”

Ivory soap floats – it’s 99 percent pure.”

Chewing gum: “Give me a pack of Beeman’s Pepsin Chewing Gum, please.”

Breakfast food: “Wheaties — the Breakfast of Champions.”

Quaker Puffed Rice – “Shot from Guns.”

And, finally, how ‘bout those Burma Shave road signs?

My job is Keeping faces clean

And nobody knows De stubble I’ve seen.

Burma Shave Train wrecks few

Reason clear

Fireman

Never hugs

Engineer

Burma Shave

How many old ads do you remember?