Television turns 95: Celebrating with our favorite commercials
06/09/2022
That possibility would take a few years to become reality but since then, TV has become central to contemporary life, bringing us news and information, live coverage of sports and current events, and a vast catalog of culture-defining entertainment. And that includes the commercials, which have become an art form unto themselves.
Even though the first commercial didn't air until 1941 - a Bulova watch commercial during a Brooklyn Dodgers vs Philadelphia Phillies baseball game - we thought we'd celebrate the 95th anniversary of Philo Farnsworth's first electronic television transmission with a look back at a few of our favorite TV commercials.
1971 - Let's get Mikey - he hates everything! Life cereal's iconic commercial was a staple during Saturday morning cartoons through the 70s and early 80s. Often misquoted as, Let's get Mikey - he'll eat anything, the ad won a Clio award in 1974.
1973 Cause Oscar Mayer has a way with b-o-l-o-g-n-a. Another staple of Saturday mornings, this Oscar Mayer ad became one of the longest running commercials of all time. You'd be hard-pressed to find a child of the seventies who can't still sing the catchy jingle verbatim.
1986 - The California Raisins These Claymation, R&B-singing raisins started out in a commercial for the California Raisin Advisory Board but went on to endorse Post Raisin Bran and release four studio albums. They were also featured in a 1988, Emmy-nominated primetime special called Meet the Raisins!
1999 - Wassup! This Budweiser ad first aired during Monday Night Football in 1999 and became a pop culture phenomenon when it ran during the 2000 Super Bowl. The commercial is responsible for the unmistakable sound of Wassup! heard across media and in the streets ever since. It's also considered both one of the best and one of the most annoying commercials of all time.
2000 Make 7-Up Yours! This humorous 7-Up commercial featured Orlando Jones as a clueless ad writer oblivious to the offensive connotations of his great new slogan.
2002 - Respect Budweiser's 9/11 tribute ran just once, during the fourth quarter of the 2002 Super Bowl, with updated versions running to mark the 10th anniversary in 2011 and the 20th anniversary in 2021. Demonstrating the power of TV commercials to move us, the ad features the Budweiser Clydesdales travelling into an eerily quiet New York City, then taking a knee and lowering their heads in tribute toward the city skyline.
2006 I'm a Mac \ I'm a PC. This popular Apple computer campaign ran a series of ads using humor - and, some argued, a sense of smug superiority - to compare the attributes of a cool and laid-back Mac to those of a nerdy and uptight PC.
2007 - Little Lad - Berries and Cream Definitely in the running for one of the strangest commercials ever made, this 2007 Starburst ad featured performance artist Jack Ferver as the little lad, singing and dancing about his love for berries and cream. Starburst has since discontinued the flavor but thanks to TikTok, both Ferver and the little lad have recently enjoyed a resurgence in popularity.
2008 - Fate Directed by David Fincher, this much-loved Nike ad tells the parallel stories of pro football players LaDainian Tomlinson and Troy Polamalu from birth through childhood to adulthood, until fate finds them face-to-face, on opposing sides in an NFL football game.
2010 - The Man Your Man Could Smell Like Old Spice boldly embraced the new wave of weird internet humor to create this truly iconic commercial, successfully repositioning the product line as a brand for the younger demographic. Suddenly Old Spice was cool, no longer just a staple for Grandpa's Christmas stocking.
2014 - The Time Machine This Doritos commercial was made on a budget of $300 and won the company's 2014 Crash the Super Bowl contest. The spot's creator, Ryan Thomas Andersen, received a prize of $1 million dollars and a chance to work with Marvel Studios on The Avengers: The Age of Ultron. The commercial ran over 5000 times in the year following the win and still reappears regularly. Sadly, Andersen passed away in 2018.
2016 - Marilyn This Snickers ad featured tough-guy actor Willem Dafoe as a hangry Marilyn Monroe filming the iconic subway grate scene from The Seven Year Itch. The spot was part of Snickers' You're not you when you're hungry campaign, which previously featured Betty White and Abe Vigoda in 2011.
2022 - Don't be like Larry In this commercial for cryptocurrency exchange FTX, contrarian comedian Larry David poo-poos some of humanity's greatest inventions. And among those great inventions, the ad would have us believe, is cryptocurrency. When the ad debuted during the Super Bowl the Twitterverse was divided, but love it or hate it, the commercial definitely got people's attention.
2022 - The New Frontier This Salesforce commercial features Matthew McConaughey as an astronaut commenting on the importance of taking care of Earth as the nature of business changes. The ad debuted during the opening ceremonies for the 2022 Winter Olympics and ran again during Super Bowl LVI.
And while we're not quite as old as television, WideOrbit has been making it easier to buy and sell advertising since 1999. Whether you're buying or selling TV, radio, or digital, we have the tools to make your life easier. Contact us to learn more.
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
30/04/2024
Clear-Coms Eclipse HX and Agent-IC Technology Illuminate Coverage of Solar Eclipse
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
30/04/2024
Plex Partners with T-Mobile To Grow Connected TV Reach
CAMPBELL, Calif. Streaming media company Plex and T-Mobile will work together to expand T-Mobile's connected TV (CTV) inventory and advance the connection b...
30/04/2024
Roku, iSpot Launch Expanded Streaming Audience Measurement Partnership
SAN JOSE, Calif. & BELLEVUE, Wash. Roku, Inc. has announced an expanded measurement partnership with iSpot.tv, the cross-platform TV measurement company....
30/04/2024
Paramount+ Subs Hit 71M as Revenue Grew by 51% YoY
NEW YORK As Paramount Global wrestled with management turmoil and ongoing negotiations for a proposed merger with Skydance, the company managed to report improv...
30/04/2024
Cobalt Digital Receives Trifecta of Awards at NAB 2024
Cobalt Digital Receives Trifecta of Awards at NAB 2024 Company adds two 2024 NAB Show Product of the Year awards and one Best of Show from TV Tech to long list...
30/04/2024
arkonas BLADE runner IP Audio Engine Receives Best of Sho...
arkona technologies GmbH, provider of IP core infrastructure solutions for top-tier broadcast productions, has announced that its BLADE//runner IP Audio Engine ...
30/04/2024
OpenDrives Joins AWS Partner Network
OpenDrives, Inc., the global provider of software-defined media workflow solutions and data management capabilities, announced today that it has joined the glob...
30/04/2024
dandb group unveils SustainSymphony a ground-breaking clo...
The first norm conform sustainability service dedicated to the needs of the events industry Easy-to-use, intuitive platform for venues, event organisers and su...
30/04/2024
Dejero Smart Blending Technology opens new opportunities...
Dejero GateWay enables Stream7 to create independent internet connectivity at any venue or location, including UK teaching hospital for live streaming of surgic...
30/04/2024
farmerswife and Cirkus to Showcase Cutting-Edge Solutions...
Excitement is building as farmerswife, a leading software provider for resource scheduling, project management, and team collaboration in the media industry, ha...
30/04/2024
XL8 Clears SOC 2 Type II Audit Enhancing Data Security
XL8, a leading deep-tech startup specializing in AI-powered machine translation technology, proudly announces the successful completion of a System and Organiza...
30/04/2024
CABSAT 2024 - Leader and PHABRIX to showcase latest Test...
Test & measurement innovator, Leader Electronics of Europe, has announced that it will exhibit at CABSAT, which takes place this year from 21-23 May 2024 at the...
30/04/2024
MRMC Debuts Cinebot Max Camera Robot at NAB 2024
MRMC Debuts Cinebot Max Camera Robot at NAB 2024 Brie Clayton April 30, 2024 0 Comments Expands its range of live-action, motion-control camera robots...
30/04/2024
Next Jazz Legacy Announces 2024 Cohort of Women and Nonbinary Awardees
Next Jazz Legacy Announces 2024 Cohort of Women and Nonbinary Awardees The program was created by New Music USA and the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender J...
30/04/2024
SES Announces Acqusition of Intelsat for $3.1B
European telecom satellite company SES announced today that it is acquiring rival Intelsat for $3.1 billion. The deal, unanimously approved by both companies...
30/04/2024
Bakish Out at Paramount
Bob Bakish, chief executive of Paramount stepped down on Monday, effective immediately. Bakish, who was a staunch ally of Shari Redstone, controlling shareholde...
30/04/2024
Hotspring unveils Slapshot ML-driven rotoscoping solution
Hotspring said the breakthrough had been achieved through the acceleration of machine learning technology By Matthew Corrigan Published: April 30, 2024 Ho...
30/04/2024
SES to acquire Intelsat in $3.1 billion deal
Speaking about the deal, Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of SES, said: it will bring value-added, efficient, and reliable offerings for both companies media customers By Je...
30/04/2024
Bob Bakish officially out at Paramount, new Office of the CEO finalising long-term plan'
Paramount said the Office of the CEO is working with its board to develop a comp...
30/04/2024
Gray Television Using NextGen TV to Roll Out Advanced Features Like HDR
LOUISVILLE, Ky. In another sign that broadcasters are finally using NextGen TV broadcasts to offer viewers new features instead of simply simulcasting existing ...
30/04/2024
Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame To Honor Blaise Labbe
OKLAHOMA CITY The Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame will induct Blaise Labbe, a group news director for Sinclair Broadcast Group, May 2 at the 54th Anniversary I...
30/04/2024
Cox Media Group, Dish Ink New Multi-Year Agreement
ATLANTA and ENGLEWOOD, Colo. Cox Media Group and Dish have ended a dispute over retransmission fees that lasted nearly a year and a half with a new multi-year ...
30/04/2024
TelevisaUnivision Taps LTN for IP-Based Distribution
Video transport solution provider LTN has announced that it is working with TelevisaUnivision to help the Spanish-language media giant migrate to IP-based video...
30/04/2024
NBC KXAS and Telemundo KXTX Used Clear-Com Solutions for Eclipse Coverage
ALAMEDA, Calif. Clear-Com has released details about how it played a pivotal role in the seamless coverage of the recent solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 by NBC K...
30/04/2024
Scripps Appoints Seth Walters To Steer CTV Sales Strategy
CINCINNATI The E.W. Scripps Company is adding Seth Walters to its sales leadership team as head of CTV sales, effective April 29....
30/04/2024
Durham Bulls Saturday Game, First Sellout of 2024 Season
The force was strong at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Saturday night, April 27, 2024, as the night netted the ballpark's first official sellout crowd of...
30/04/2024
NewFront Life Is a Cabaret for LGBTQ+ Network Revry
Revry, a network celebrating queer culture. said its second annual NewFront presentation will be a cabaret-type spectacle showcasing the spirit of the LGBTQ+ co...
30/04/2024
FETV Viewers Say Howdy' as Wyatt Earp' Joins Lineup
Family Entertainment Television (FETV) said that the Western series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp will be joining the network's afternoon lineup startin...
30/04/2024
Bob Bakish Departing Paramount, According to Reports
Bob Bakish, president and CEO of Paramount Global, will depart the company as Paramount explores a merger, according to numerous published reports. The reports ...
30/04/2024
FOR-As RDS Conductor Wins 2024 NAB Show Product of the Year Award
Channel Expansion, and New Codecs, Compression and Transport Technology Among Latest Updates...
30/04/2024
Accel-KKR Credit Partners Provides Growth Financing to Dalet
Accel-KKR Credit Partners today announced that it has provided debt financing to support Dalet in its next chapter of innovation and growth. Accel-KKR Credit Pa...
30/04/2024
Skeem Saam: Monday's episode, 29 April 2024 [video]
Skeem Saam: Monday's episode, 29 April 2024 [video]Missed an episode of Skeem Saam? No problem! Watch the latest episode of your favourite South African soa...
30/04/2024
Tonight on Skeem Saam: Lewatle witnesses an explosive fight between Sthoko and Babeile
Tonight on Skeem Saam: Lewatle witnesses an explosive fight between Sthoko and B...
30/04/2024
RT NEWS ANNOUNCES DAVID MURPHY AS NEW ECONOMICS & PUBLIC AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT
RT News is pleased to announce the appointment of David Murphy as its new Economics & Public Affairs Correspondent. David is currently RT 's Political Cove...
30/04/2024
RT Concert Orchestra May and June 2024
Concerts in Limerick, Dublin, Carlow and Cork, including Marty in the Evening, Morricone and May the Fourth Be With You, celebrating the remarkable decade of th...
30/04/2024
SES to acquire Intelsat in compelling transaction focused on the future
Value accretive transaction underpinned by 2.4 billion (NPV) of readily executable synergies. Creating a stronger multi-orbit operator with 60% of revenue in...
30/04/2024
Thales reports its order intake and sales for the first quarter of 2024
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Order intake: 5.0 billion, up 47% ( 46% on an organic basis1 ) Sales: 4.4 billion, up 9.8% ( 7.9% on an organic basis) All f...
29/04/2024
Filming begins and further cast confirmed in Mark Gatiss drama Bookish for Alibi
(L-R) Mark Gatiss and Polly Walker on set Monday 29 April 2024 Further casting is now confirmed for Bookish (6x70), a brand-new drama created by Emmy Award-wi...
29/04/2024
She Speaks Sudan': Thomson launches programme to empower women journalists and civil society actors in exile
A groundbreaking initiative offering training and mentoring to 30 women journali...
29/04/2024
Meet the 2024 Sundance Institute Directors, Screenwriters, and Native Lab Fellows
Even though we've been doing this for over 40 years, a spark of excitement r...
29/04/2024
The AN/PRC-158: A Resilient Communications Bridge Between Air and Ground
L3Harris is delivering manpack radios to U.S. Army CH-47 Chinooks as part of the Air-to-Ground Networking Radio program, providing seamless, resilient communica...
29/04/2024
CS President Sam Mehta: Resilient Communications are Critical to Realizing JADC2
He writes in Defense One: Despite the near-universal acknowledgement throughout the U.S. government and defense industrial base of the criticality of resilient ...
29/04/2024
Clear-Com Enhances The Kennedy Center with Seamless Communication Solutions
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
29/04/2024
Optimising audio loudness & normalisation across the Media Supply Chain
Codemill aims to revolutionize media workflow efficiency at this years NAB Show by introducing Just-In-Time (JIT) playback technology in Accurate.Video Validate...
29/04/2024
TF1 Chooses Broadpeak to Power Targeted Advertising for New Video Streaming Service
April 29, 2024 -- TF1 Chooses Broadpeak to Power Targeted Advertising for New...
29/04/2024
LG Adds Allen Media Group's Local Now FAST Channel in 223 Markets
LOS ANGELES Allen Media Group (AMG) has partnered with LG Electronics to bring 223 Local Now FAST channels to LG's free streaming service, LG Channels, avai...
29/04/2024
Ross Video Unveils Raiden Weather Graphics System
OTTAWA Ross Video has announced the introduction of Raiden, a data-driven weather graphics software that combines data gathering, processing, and visualization ...