Thursday 11 November 2010

1950's TV Shows And The Commercials That Entertained A Generation

By Hector Ford

The actual 1950s were arguably the golden age of television and most people of a certain age look back fondly at some of the shows from those times - "The Lone Ranger", "I Love Lucy" and "Gunsmoke". These shows were in monochrome and were watched on the set that got its signal from a huge antenna on the top, but they were loved just the same.

Nearly as compelling as the tv shows themselves, were a few of the commercials from those times. Television was still being thought of as a novelty during the 1950s and companies were anxious to cash in on the new craze. Particularly popular were commercials for cigarettes, cars and advanced appliances. And the average period of TV advertisements was around a minute - compared to the only 30 to 45 seconds or less today.

You bet, Beer was also one of the products widely advertised on television throughout the 1950s. At first, it was only shortly before bedtime and never on Sunday, so they wouldn't offend anyone. During the early part of the decade, Blatz Beer became among the beer industry's biggest advertisers, partly because of the company's sponsorship on the popular "Amos 'n' Andy" show.

Probably the most instantly recognizable characters in television advertising and marketing at that time was Mabel. Mabel was a chirpy blond waitress who appeared on screen having a tray of Carling Black Label beer. Nearly every Carling commercial featured the phrase that became famous - "Hey, Mabel, Black Label!"

Do you believe it? cigarette commercials were commonplace during the 1950s - a big variance from tv today. A few of the largest tobacco manufacturers of the time spent lots of money attempting to convince us that smoking was sophisticated and fun, including Lucky Strike, Tareyton and Winston.

One particular famous Lucky Strike ad featured an imaginative mixture of cartoon and live action, featuring the singer Gisele McKenzie. Tareytown had an ad that showcased what appeared to be a couple of children dancing around a giant pack of cigarettes. And who could possibly fail to remember the Fontane Sisters singing the praises of Chesterfield cigarettes?

In addition, car manufacturers also went to great lengths to market the most recent models on television during the 1950s regardless of the loss of aesthetic effect on the monochrome screen. The Ford Edsel was marketed at great length as the most beautiful convertible on the planet, complete with such fantastic and innovative features as "teletouch" driving and air suspension.

It wasn't all just cars, beer and cigarettes. Several healthier products were advertised as well. One of the most well known ads of the era was for Pepsodent toothpaste. The tv ad featured an adorable cartoon couple kissing after having brushed their teeth, and the catchy and unforgettable slogan - "You'll wonder where the yellow went, whenever you brush your teeth with Pepsodent!"

TV advertisements for appliances stated features that people now take for granted. A General Electric ad from the time for any new refrigerator consisted of the proud couple explaining the characteristics of the sleek new fridge which included shelves that slid out, space for storage behind the door and a separate freezer compartment.

And some things don't appear to have changed much through the years. Tupperware ran a number of TV ads during the 1950s which featured a thrilling Tupperware evening at a typical suburban home, organized with a "hostess". Almost just as much emphasis was placed on the social aspect, as on the actual features of the product.

One of the most prolific TV advertisers during the 1950s and subsequent decades was Pepsi. Their commercials captured the sensation from the times like few others. Among the company's earliest featured the actress and singer Polly Bergen enjoying a barn dance along with a refreshing glass of Pepsi-Cola.

Not to be outdone, Coca-Cola was also prolific using their ads and created several memorable slogans, for example "There's nothing beats a Coke". Coca-Cola also went after the young crowd, by having an ad featuring people at diners and drive-in movie theaters along with a jingle that claimed "Zing! What a feeling!"

Many television audiences firmly maintain how the ads are every bit as good as the actual shows themselves! It seems as if that was particularly true back in the 1950s. And when you simply cannot get enough of those old commercials, you may enjoy a number of them on DVD or on the web. - 42265

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