One of my favorite sites, the Phat Phree, posted this ingenious compilation of The 50 Greatest Local TV Commercials. You cannot dream up a better way to spend an hour. Let us pause, sit quietly at our desks, and think really hard about how much we love YouTube. (Okay, I’m done).
This list is amazing. I like how they made sure to represent the whole country — in fact, the first thought that came to mind when I saw the headline was "It must be Eagle Man!" and then lo and behold, Chicago’s Eagle Auto Insurance clocked in at an impressive No. 7. We also dug the ad for a restaurant called Delicious Tamales, in which two delicious tamales named Paco and Lola (pictured) go through their own version of Sebastian-in-The Little Mermaid’s greedy hungry people hell. I also warmed to the Auto Connection (No. 36, huh?), the full-length rap video for Flea Market Montgomery (No. 10), and the stonerrific Luciano’s Pizza (No. 32), just for that guy in the middle of the couch who doesn’t move the entire time. So take a load off — the week’s almost over. How many of these clips do you recognize?
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Any Cleveland native knows why numbers 1 through 5 are devoted to us! Anyone who has watched television after 11pm in our area has been confused, frightened, even disturbed by those Norton Furniture ads. They are like the worst peice of surrealism that Fellini or Bunuel would’ve cut from their film!
I love that Easterns Motors made the list(everyone in DC loves to hate these ads), but was happier to see “Empire Carpet” make it. These local Chicago legends in the 80’s ruled WGN channel 9. Whether figuring out what bucket the kid got to on Bozo’s Grand Prize game or hoping Andre Dawson would hit 50 homeruns, the # came on. They were so catchy that the ads are now national.
However, the one blaring omission is Madison, Wisconsin’s Pizza Pit. In the late 70’s, they ran an ad that had a toy pizza car run through a toy city during a massive “snowstorm”. The ads were local legends and are still run in the winter. give Madison some love!
Is that “The Ghoul” in those Norton Furniture ads? I live in Youngstown and I remember catching late night horror movies hosted by that guy.
When I was a kid I used to like the original “Crazy Eddie” commericals, up until the owner was arrested. There is a recent low budget commerical for the Mattress King where he is strumming a guitar on top of a train then jumps off of it, attempting to land on five mattresses. The only problem is that he bounces off! It is on You Tube and it is hillarious!
Of the two that I have seen in real life, Dodds Furniture and Vern Fonk insurance, those aren’t even the best they have done. I am from the city where Dodds is in and you could fill a whole webpage with his classic commercials.
Haha Yes! I’m glad that the Eagle Auto Insurance ad with “Eagleman” was in the top 10. That’s probably the best known, homemade commercial in Chicago. Looks like they updated it a little bit, but it’s still great.
I recognize the tamale commercial, saw a bunch in San Antonio. Any way I remeber those Rodney D Young inssurace adds with the cavemen and their escipades with making the wheel (hmm insurance and cavemen…sounds familiar)
I’m disappointed the Don’s Guns ads from the 80s and early 90s in Indianapolis didn’t make the cut! Don would end every commercial with “I don’t want to make any money folks, I just love to sell guns!” Classic!
So glad the one of the Mo’ Money Taxes commercials made the cut…not the best by far, the “Show me my Opponent/Dukes of Hazzard” one and the “Man You So Fresh, Man You so Clean” one was pretty good too. There are a couple of things we look forward to in Memphis; Beale Street Music Fest, Bar-b-Queing Competition, and tax season to see what the Mo’ Money boys put together this year.
Back in the late ’90s, there was a hilarious local commercial in central Illinois (Decatur/Champaign, to be exact) that featured a character named “King Credit.” He would approve anyone’s credit, regardless of their history! His catchphrase was “You’re approved,” uttered in the most uppity of tones. My friends and I loved that commercial! I should check YouTube and see if someone’s posted it.
We get a lot of farm commercials around here too, and some of those are a riot. I grew up in the Chicagoland area, and although there’s some classics (Eagle Insurance, Victory Auto Wreckers, Empire Carpets), there’s far more local commercials in a smaller market, and they’re generally more amusing (often unintentionally).
Anyone rememeber “The Captain”? The big fat guy who was the owner of The Captain’s Bargain Store, basically a pawn shop in Vancouver. Now that guy had some so bad they are good commercials.
Chicago’s Victory Auto Wreckers is my favorite…should be on the list. gotta love the look on the guy’s face when his car door falls off. I like it better than EagleMan.
#50 is #1 in my book- the little kids at the end are great and the score was written by nils lofgren. thighs wide shut loves this commercial too.
nobody bothers me
Norton Furniture is right next to Cleveland State University. The man’s mug shot takes up half the building.
W-E-T P-E-T-S!
W-E-T P-E-T-S!
I’ll have to check out the list when I get home (stupid filters), but I’m really hoping that the St. Louis-area “Queen of Carpet and Princess of Tile” commercials are on there somewhere, as well as the old, corny Empire Carpet commercials.
RAMADAAAAAN!
Man. Those were awesome.
This list is missing something… namely Jordan’s Furniture (from the Boston area). They’ve had some really great commercials over the years.
I’m originally from Cleveland, and as soon as I saw this post I knew the trippy-to-the-point-of-frightening Norton’s Furniture commercials just had to be on it. Do any other Clevelanders remember the Berea haunted house commercial with the big-haired valley girl? “Berea. It is so scary!”
Doesn’t the tamale on the left look like Borat ???
The Asian-American appliance store in Orlando (“You paid too much!”) should be on there too.
Stinky Septic is brilliant; it’s not a “bad spot”.
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