We’ve Come A Long Way, Baby

One of the things I enjoy the most about being at PUNCH are the conversations my officemates and I have throughout the day while working. Because we are somewhat close in age, we frequently discuss childhood memories, which oftentimes involve TV commercials and advertising (ironically). This is not surprising, though, since we grew up during the golden years of advertising and were basically weaned on television and all the “in-your-face” ads that are so commonplace today. The funny thing is, these ads seemed to represent so much more to us back then than just a solicitation to buy—they symbolized an era.

Ads such as Virginia Slims’ “You’ve Come A Long Way Baby” told us, as little girls, that women were evolving and strong, while “Mr. Clean” told us that we needed a genie’s help to clean our homes. “Smokey the Bear” brought attention to the dangers of forest fires, while a Native American’s tears addressed pollution for the very first time. There were so many timely, social issues communicated in these ads, that they very well may have shaped a whole generation of kids—just like us.

There were also so many fun jingles like “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz—oh, what a relief it is!” And “Umm… ummm, good, umm…umm, good.” And who can forget “Oh, I wish I had an Oscar Mayer Wiener”? We sometimes had a hard time distinguishing between jingles and real songs as kids. I actually remember thinking how I wanted to write commercials someday, because it seemed so fun… and if Darren Stevens from “Bewitched” could do it, so could I! It wasn’t magic, after all, it was just appealing to our most basic needs or desires in a fun or obvious way. We knew we were being persuaded, but we enjoyed it.

Today, advertising tends to be a much more serious and sophisticated business, which I also appreciate. I should, since I’ve been in the business for over 25 years now, and still enjoy the impact we have on people’s lives. Yes, we’ve “come a long way, baby,” but I still remember the old ads… and love them even more.