Let’s face it-the 20th century was so last millennium, but it had some great TV-and… great TV ads.
‘Cars really reflected the culture of the decade so here (in no particular order) are 10 great TV car ads from the back 9 of the last century.’
1965 RAMBLER MARLIN-this ad showed up during the legendary sitcom known as ‘Get Smart’. That alone qualifies it as a classic ad, but the ’65 Marlin sealed the deal.
This was AMC’s answer to the Mustang and for me the Marlin worked but unfortunately, it didn’t rock most people’s world so… this fish went extinct in 3 years.This TV ad gives us a look at this rare Rambler in its first year of a short life.
1969 PLYMOUTH ROADRUNNER–Wile E. Coyote getting mashed by a giant rock, a great jingle and a classic Roadrunner 2 door post. Seriously can life get any better? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1zCV9MrBUU
1964 CHEVROLET IMPALA- put a girl in a ’64 Chevy convertible on top of a giant butte in Monument Valley and you have one of the most spectacular car ads ever filmed. Spoiler alert-the car was engineless and fiberglass and the model was so terrified she had a guy holding her legs-out of camera range. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvKvP4r4i2o
1969 MUSTANG MACH 1-I struggled through the first part of this ad but it is pure 60s-a Madison Ave. 60s youth singing group that’s so white bread they make the Osmonds look like death metal… but then the Mustang shows up. And not just any ‘Stang-this is a bad ass 428 Mach 1 in all its glory. This TV ad just got a lot tougher. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohVHfQneBV0
1967 PONTIAC GTO-This is a stripped down ad- an actor with a cigarette and whiskey ravaged voice sings the praises of the GTO. Basic understated ad for an automotive legend. Classic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tjhEqjXu3A&feature=related
1959 PLYMOUTH FURY–A Mopar fin car and a big band musical introduction complete with melodramatic announcer-this had late 50s written all over it. It was brilliant. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODobb-lr9c0&feature=related
1965 CORVETTE-This was a “truth about Santa Claus” moment for me when I saw it-I was 10 and I couldn’t get by the fact that Adam Cartwright drove this ’65 Vette up the familiar streets of Virginia City. Bonanza was never the same but the ad left a permanent mark. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leuhrfJ2LZ0&feature=related
1962 VW BEETLE–Volkswagen turned into an automotive monster via ads like this-constant repetition of a simple theme- Beetles never change. And you can (VW did) take that to the bank. Great ad campaign. That’s why it stretched out over 3 decades. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRZpmg5DR3U
1964 MUSTANG–You can’t do a car TV ad retrospective without including the ’64 Mustang-this ad was more like a coming attractions blurb. Who knew that the only other cultural phenomena in 1964 that would match the Mustang in popularity was a British bar band called the Beatles? Only one 1964 phenomona survived to 2010-this ad started it all. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBot2MAewpY
1957 CHEVROLET-Speaking of automotive icons, this ’57 Chevy TV ad had to be part of any list. The “See the World Today in Your Chevrolet” jingle is just icing on the cake-that tune took the word “iconic” to a new level. This was an era when GM was truly USA 1 –nobody else in the world was even close. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blZ5uzPfJ-A&feature=related
Jerry Sutherland
COMMENTS
GENE:””There are some great clips -”
DON:”Oh my God! I REMEMBER that commercial for the 1964 Impala! I remember asking my Dad (in a world before everything was a computer animation) – “how did they do that?”It still makes my palms sweat!!!!Thanks for sharing.”
