Six Brands A Engagin'

Hershey Kisses – 1989. Product-as-hero indeed. So simple, so effective, so Ogilvy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HtSLF4vlrk

You may recall - in 2020 Hershey started rotating a second edit, one with consumers: https://youtu.be/w1WkQSAP67w?si=crxQBexRJLj1dKXl I prefer V1.

Kmart – 1979. A festive/memorable way to communicate variety of goods on sale. Most holiday ads these days fail to effectively put salesmanship into holiday lyrics (e.g. Verizon’s horrible carolers this year). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNLYE2VM1Ho

Norelco – 1971. Um, I mean N?elco. What better product demo for “smooth” than Santa himself shaver-schussing the snowy summits https://youtu.be/LJ5vjCb37fc?si=gVAFScOdy13RHgix

CBS – 1966. Season’s Greetings - the TV promo that began my love of (and then career in) TV promos. Arresting in its simplicity and calm, but not without a modern jazz rebellion. An antidote to the garish sights & sounds of the selling season. Designed by R.O. Blechman, animated by Willis Pyle, music arranged by Arnie Black. https://youtu.be/MUWMjUjit_U?si=e0F3lO0_EpHDSB3q

Budweiser – 1982. TBH, not sure it does much marketing heavy lifting, beyond evoking some holiday warmth and nostalgia and market leadership. https://youtu.be/rPiM2-h_Vr4?si=A-fhMJOIOsgyOheT

Coca-Cola – 1977. The Christmas sequel to the 1971 original classic “Hilltop.” Another jingle-belled sequel to a classic ad. https://youtu.be/_zCsFvVg0UY?si=I1TRCdbAOKiLHwro

I love the lore of this Coke campaign, as so many happy accidents reportedly had to have coincided. The idea came to?Bill Backer at McCann Erickson, who wrote, "I'd like to buy the world a Coke" on a cocktail napkin, and put that in the hands of two British songwriters. The pop song debuted in 1971 as a generic version with the refrain, “I’d like to teach the world to sing,” before being modified as a sugar-water jingle. McCann art director Harvey Gabor conceived the spot, bringing together hundreds of happy young faces. But it was on an Italian hillside only because the intended British Isles location had been rained out. And it was young adults only because the younger schoolchildren originally cast had misbehaved. And it was that one iconic lead female only because a British governess had been spotted pushing a baby carriage in Rome.

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