168 Fun Facts About Commercial & Jingle

What did the first radio commercial jingle, aired in December 1926, advertise?

Wheaties' 'Have You Tried Wheaties?' jingle aired on WCCO Minneapolis on Christmas Eve 1926; strong Twin Cities sales persuaded General Mills to keep the cereal and take the jingle national.

The first official paid TV commercial, in 1941, was for which brand?

Bulova paid about $9 for a 10-second spot on New York's WNBT on July 1, 1941, shown before a Dodgers-Phillies game, the first paid TV commercial in the US.

The first TV ad in the UK, in 1955, was for what?

Gibbs SR toothpaste, on the opening night of ITV.

Which cereal does Tony the Tiger sell?

Tony the Tiger has fronted Kellogg's Frosted Flakes (originally Sugar Frosted Flakes) since the cereal launched in 1952, outlasting co-mascot Katy the Kangaroo within a few years.

Who provided Tony the Tiger's deep bass voice for five decades?

Thurl Ravenscroft voiced Tony the Tiger from 1952 until his death in 2005, and was the uncredited singer of 'You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch' in 1966.

Tony the Tiger was named after whom?

Tony took his name from Raymond Anthony Wells, an ad man at Leo Burnett, the agency that created the mascot for Kellogg's in 1952.

Who first played Ronald McDonald on TV in 1963?

Willard Scott, later the Today show weatherman, first played Ronald McDonald on Washington's WRC-TV in 1963 after playing Bozo there from 1959 to 1962.

Which McDonaldland character started out evil, stealing milkshakes?

Grimace debuted in 1971 as 'Evil Grimace', a four-armed shake thief; McDonald's later softened him into a gentle friend and sold a Grimace birthday shake in 2023.

Who sued McDonald's claiming McDonaldland plagiarized their children's TV show?

Sid and Marty Krofft won: a jury found McDonaldland copied H.R. Pufnstuf, with Mayor McCheese too close to Pufnstuf himself, and the Ninth Circuit upheld the verdict in 1977.

The Big Mac debuted in 1967 in which Pennsylvania town?

Franchisee Jim Delligatti introduced the Big Mac at his Uniontown, Pennsylvania restaurant in 1967 for 45 cents; it went national in 1968 after trial names Aristocrat and Blue Ribbon Burger.

McDonald's 'I'm lovin' it' campaign was created by an agency in which country?

German agency Heye & Partner of Unterhaching, near Munich, created the campaign; it launched in Germany on 2 September 2003 as 'ich liebe es' before rolling out worldwide.

Who sang the vocals on the original 2003 'I'm lovin' it' spots?

Justin Timberlake sang the jingle, produced by Pharrell Williams' Neptunes; McDonald's launched the 2003 campaign, its first global one, after posting its first-ever quarterly loss in late 2002.

The Energizer Bunny began in 1988 as a parody of which rival's ad?

Duracell's drumming bunny dated to 1973, but its trademark had lapsed.

In which two countries is the drumming bunny Energizer's rather than Duracell's?

Energizer owns the drumming-bunny trademark in the United States and Canada, where Duracell's mark had lapsed; Duracell's original 1973 bunny fronts its batteries across the rest of the world.

What does the Energizer Bunny wear on its feet?

The Energizer Bunny is a pink toy rabbit in sunglasses and blue and black striped flip-flops, beating a bass drum bearing the Energizer logo since his 1988 debut.

What is the Pillsbury Doughboy's proper name?

Poppin' Fresh is the Pillsbury Doughboy's given name; Leo Burnett copywriter Rudy Perz created him in 1965 for a crescent-roll commercial.

What does the Doughboy do when a finger pokes his belly?

The Doughboy giggles when poked in the belly, the sign-off that has closed Pillsbury ads since his 1965 debut.

Who was the first voice of the Pillsbury Doughboy, for 21 years?

Paul Frees, also the voice of Boris Badenov, voiced the Doughboy from 1965 until his death in 1986; Jeff Bergman took over the role afterward.

What is the Michelin Man's official name?

It comes from Horace's line Nunc est bibendum, 'now is the time to drink'.

At the Lyon Exhibition of which year did the Michelin brothers conceive their tyre man?

At the 1894 Lyon Universal Exhibition, Édouard Michelin saw a stack of tyres on the firm's stand and remarked that with arms it would look like a man; O'Galop drew Bibendum in 1898.

Mr. Clean's creator modeled him on what?

Mr. Clean was modeled on a US Navy sailor from Pensacola, Florida; his earring, folded arms and habit of appearing by magic lead many to assume he is a genie.

What is Mr. Clean's first name, chosen in a 1962 contest?

Veritably won a 1962 'Give Mr. Clean a First Name' promotion; the character had made his TV debut in 1958, played in live action by actor House Peters Jr.

The Green Giant began in the 1920s as the brand for which vegetable?

The Minnesota Valley Canning Company of Le Sueur first used 'Green Giant' in the 1920s for a variety of unusually large peas, with a giant on the label; it took the name for the whole firm in 1950.

What is the name of the Jolly Green Giant's young apprentice?

Little Green Sprout, the Giant's small, curious apprentice, joined Green Giant ads in the 1970s as a talkative foil to the giant, whose only line was 'Ho, ho, ho'.

How tall is the Jolly Green Giant statue in Blue Earth, Minnesota?

The fibreglass Blue Earth statue stands 55.5 feet tall; it was raised in 1979 beside the Interstate 90 / US 169 interchange, where I-90's final section had been joined in 1978.

What does the Kool-Aid Man shout after bursting through a wall?

'Oh, yeah!' is the Kool-Aid Man's catchphrase, bellowed after he smashes through a wall when thirsty kids shout 'Hey, Kool-Aid!'

What inspired the smiling pitcher face that became the Kool-Aid Man in 1954?

Art director Marvin Potts watched his son draw smiley faces on the glass.

How did an ad-agency art director come up with the Aflac Duck?

Muttering 'Aflac, Aflac' in Central Park, he realised it sounded like a quack.

Who voiced the Aflac Duck until being fired in 2011 over tsunami jokes?

Gilbert Gottfried quacked for the Aflac Duck from its debut until March 2011, when Aflac dropped him over jokes he tweeted about the Japan earthquake and tsunami; Japan is Aflac's largest market.

What were the three Budweiser Frogs named?

The frogs croaked 'Bud', 'Weis' and 'Er' in turn to spell Budweiser; the spot debuted during Super Bowl XXIX in January 1995 and later spawned the rival lizards Frank and Louie.

Which future Pirates of the Caribbean director shot the first Budweiser Frogs ad?

Gore Verbinski, who later directed the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films, shot the 1995 Budweiser Frogs spot before making his feature debut with Mouse Hunt in 1997.

Budweiser's 'Whassup?' ads were based on a short film with what title?

Charles Stone III's 1998 short film 'True' showed him and his childhood friends greeting each other with 'Whassup?'; DDB Chicago adapted it for Budweiser and Stone directed the ads.

The first 'Whassup?' spot aired in December 1999 during which broadcast?

The first 'Whassup?' spot ran on 20 December 1999 during Monday Night Football; it aired again during Super Bowl XXXIV and took the Cannes Lions Grand Prix in 2000.

The Budweiser Clydesdales were first shown to the public in 1933 to celebrate what?

August Busch Jr. presented the hitch to his father on 7 April 1933 to mark the repeal of Prohibition, the day beer became legal again; it carried the first case from the St. Louis brewery.

How many Clydesdales are driven at one time in a Budweiser hitch?

A Budweiser hitch is driven eight horses at a time; ten Clydesdales travel with each team so two can serve as alternates.

Which Bud Light mascot dog of the late 1980s was billed as 'The Original Party Animal'?

Spuds MacKenzie, 'The Original Party Animal', debuted nationally in a Bud Light ad during Super Bowl XXI in January 1987.

What was revealed about the bull terrier who played Bud Light's party-animal mascot?

Honey Tree Evil Eye, or Evie, was a female Bull Terrier from Woodstock, Illinois.

Bud Light's 2017 'Dilly Dilly' phrase actually comes from which old song?

'Dilly, dilly' is the refrain of the 17th-century English folk song 'Lavender's Blue'; Wieden+Kennedy used it as a placeholder while writing the medieval 'Banquet' spot and kept it.

In the 'Dilly Dilly' ads, where is a guest banished for bringing spiced honey mead wine?

In the 'Banquet' spot the king banishes the guest bearing spiced honey mead wine to the Pit of Misery, answered by a chorus of 'Dilly Dilly!'

The Bud Bowl ads first aired during which Super Bowl?

Bud Bowl I aired during Super Bowl XXIII in January 1989, with stop-motion Budweiser bottles beating Bud Light 27-24.

Which Pittsburgh Steelers star tossed a kid his jersey in Coca-Cola's famous 1979 'Hey Kid, Catch' commercial?

Mean Joe Greene's young co-star was Tommy Okon; the ad won a Clio and re-aired at Super Bowl XIV.

Coca-Cola's 1971 'Hilltop' jingle was sung by which group?

The New Seekers sang the 'Hilltop' jingle; Bill Backer had scribbled 'I'd like to buy the world a Coke' on a napkin while fog-bound at Shannon Airport, Ireland.

The Hilltop jingle was reworked from a song originally called what?

Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway's melody was first recorded by Susan Shirley as 'True Love and Apple Pie' in 1971 before Bill Backer and Billy Davis refitted it with Coke lyrics.

What inspired the creator of Coca-Cola's 1993 animated polar bears?

Ken Stewart's dog looked like a polar bear; the bears debuted in 'Northern Lights' during the NBA Finals.

Which brand launched blind taste tests called 'the Challenge' in 1975?

Pepsi launched the Pepsi Challenge blind taste tests in 1975; a decade later Coca-Cola answered with New Coke in April 1985, then revived the original as Coca-Cola Classic within three months.

Which Pepsi commercial was cancelled in 1989 after backlash over a music video?

Pepsi pulled Madonna's 'Make a Wish' spot in 1989 after religious groups protested the burning crosses in her 'Like a Prayer' video; she kept the $5 million fee.

Who directed Apple's '1984' Macintosh commercial?

Ridley Scott, fresh from Blade Runner, directed '1984' for agency Chiat/Day; English discus thrower Anya Major hurled the hammer at the Big Brother screen.

Why did Apple's Macintosh ad air once in Twin Falls, Idaho, on 31 December 1983?

Its only national airing was in the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII.

Who played the Mac and the PC in Apple's 'Get a Mac' ads?

Justin Long played the Mac and John Hodgman the PC from 2006 to 2009; the UK remake cast David Mitchell and Robert Webb in the same roles.

Which agency's 1959 'Think Small' Volkswagen ads were named the top campaign of the century?

Doyle Dane Bernbach's Helmut Krone and Julian Koenig made 'Think Small' for Volkswagen in 1959; Advertising Age ranked it the top campaign of the 20th century in 1999.

DDB's 1960 Volkswagen ad admitted a flaw under which one-word headline?

The 1960 'Lemon' ad, by DDB copywriter Julian Koenig and art director Helmut Krone, showed a Beetle rejected for a blemished chrome strip: 'we pluck the lemons; you get the plums.'

Dan Wieden says Nike's 'Just Do It' slogan was inspired by the last words of whom?

Wieden adapted a death-row inmate's last words, Gary Gilmore's 'Let's do it', in 1988.

From 1988 to 1998, Nike's share of the North American sports-shoe market grew from 18% to what?

Nike's share of the North American athletic-shoe market rose from 18% to 43% between 1988 and 1998, as worldwide sales climbed from $877 million to $9.2 billion.

Michael Jordan's first Nike deal in 1984 was worth how much over five years?

Michael Jordan's 1984 Nike contract paid $2.5 million over five years plus royalties; Nike hoped to sell $3 million of Air Jordans in four years and sold $126 million in the first.

Who asked 'Where's the beef?' for Wendy's in 1984?

Clara Peller, an 81-year-old Chicago retiree, barked 'Where's the beef?' in Joe Sedelmaier's 1984 Wendy's spot mocking rivals' big buns and tiny patties; the line became a national catchphrase.

Which 1984 presidential hopeful borrowed 'Where's the beef?' to jab a rival?

Walter Mondale asked 'Where's the beef?' of Gary Hart's 'new ideas' in a March 1984 Democratic debate, turning the Wendy's line into a campaign catchphrase.

Which fast-food chain's 1997-2000 mascot was a talking chihuahua named Gidget?

Her catchphrase, in Spanish, meant 'I want Taco Bell'.

Who voiced the Taco Bell chihuahua?

Carlos Alazraqui, the voice of Rocko in Rocko's Modern Life, supplied the chihuahua's voice for Taco Bell's 1997-2000 campaign by TBWA\Chiat\Day.

Which fast-food mascot's giant spherical white head sits on a business suit?

Jack Box, the chain's fictional founder and CEO, returned in Dick Sittig's 'Jack's Back' campaign in the mid-1990s, a ping-pong-ball head with a pointed yellow cap atop a business suit.

Burger King's 2004 Subservient Chicken campaign promoted which sandwich?

Crispin Porter + Bogusky's 2004 Subservient Chicken site, where a man in a chicken suit obeyed typed commands, pushed Burger King's TenderCrisp chicken sandwich under the line 'Get chicken just the way you like it.'

For how much did Colonel Sanders sell Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1964?

Harland Sanders, then 73, sold Kentucky Fried Chicken to John Y. Brown Jr. and Jack Massey in 1964 for $2 million, staying on as its salaried public face.

Which Dunkin' Donuts character got up before dawn saying 'Time to make the donuts'?

Fred the Baker, played by Michael Vale in over 100 spots until his 1997 retirement, shuffled off each morning muttering 'Time to make the donuts'.

Mr. Whipple scolded shoppers for squeezing which product?

Dick Wilson's fussy grocer Mr. Whipple begged 'Please don't squeeze the Charmin' in Procter & Gamble spots from 1964 to 1985, secretly squeezing the toilet paper himself.

Madge the manicurist soaked customers' fingers in which dish soap?

Jan Miner played Madge the manicurist from 1966 to 1992, telling clients 'You're soaking in it' as their fingers sat in Palmolive dish liquid.

What is Snap, of Snap, Crackle and Pop, usually wearing?

Snap usually wears a chef's toque; Crackle gets the sleeping cap and Pop the shako.

Which illustrator designed Snap, Crackle and Pop in the early 1930s?

Illustrator Vernon Grant drew the gnome-like trio after hearing a 1932 Rice Krispies radio jingle; Snap appeared alone on boxes in 1933, with Crackle and Pop joining by 1941.

In which year did the animated Trix Rabbit debut on TV?

The Trix Rabbit first appeared in 1959, created by Dancer Fitzgerald Sample copywriter Joe Harris, who also wrote the kids' retort 'Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids!'

What was the first cereal to include marshmallows?

Lucky Charms, launched by General Mills in 1964, was the first cereal with marshmallow bits; developer John Holahan got the idea chopping Brach's circus peanuts into Cheerios.

Cap'n Crunch's ship is called what?

Cap'n Crunch sails the S.S. Guppy with his dog first mate Seadog and a crew of kids, in ads from Jay Ward Productions, the studio behind Rocky and Bullwinkle.

Cap'n Crunch's three sleeve stripes long marked him as which actual US Navy rank?

Three gold sleeve stripes mark a US Navy commander, one grade below a captain's four; the mismatch became a running 2013 internet joke about the Cap'n's true rank.

Sonny the Cuckoo Bird goes cuckoo for which cereal?

Sonny the Cuckoo Bird debuted in 1962 as the bird who is 'cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs'; he tries to resist, fails, and usually wrecks wherever he is standing.

Which two monster cereals launched together in March 1971?

Count Chocula and Franken Berry arrived together in March 1971; Boo Berry followed in 1973. Franken Berry's red dye briefly turned some children's stool pink in 1972.

Toucan Sam tells kids to 'follow your nose' to which cereal?

Toucan Sam has fronted Kellogg's Froot Loops since 1963, urging kids to 'Follow your nose! It always knows!' toward the fruit-scented loops.

Morris the Cat, 'the world's most finicky cat', sells which brand?

Morris, 'the world's most finicky cat', has fronted 9Lives since 1969; the original orange tabby was found at a Hinsdale, Illinois shelter in 1968 by trainer Bob Martwick.

Which voice actor played the Frito Bandito, retired in 1971 after protests?

Mel Blanc, who also voiced Speedy Gonzales, gave the Frito Bandito his exaggerated accent in Tex Avery-animated spots from 1967 until Mexican-American protests retired him in 1971.

Which brand's 1944 calypso jingle featured a singing, dancing banana?

The 1944 'Chiquita Banana' jingle, sung by a dancing banana, warned never to put bananas in the refrigerator; United Fruit registered Miss Chiquita as a trademark in 1947.

A 1973 Oscar Mayer ad had four-year-old Andy Lambros spelling the brand's name while holding what?

Four-year-old Andy Lambros sang 'My bologna has a first name' while sitting on a dock with a fishing rod and sandwich in 1973; the 1963 Wiener jingle had kids wishing to be hot dogs.

The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile first hit the road in which year?

Carl Mayer, Oscar's nephew, built the first Wienermobile in 1936 to tour Chicago; a 2023 renaming to 'Frankmobile' lasted about four months before reverting.

Kit Kat's US jingle telling you to break off a piece dates from which year?

The US jingle 'Gimme a break, break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar' debuted in 1986, written by DDB copywriter Ken Shuldman; the UK's 'Have a break, have a Kit Kat' dates from 1958.

Which brand's US commercials are made by Hershey under licence, not by its owner Nestlé?

Kit Kat is made and advertised in the US by Hershey under a licence Rowntree granted in 1970; Nestlé inherited the brand everywhere else when it bought Rowntree in 1988.

Barry Manilow wrote the 'Like a good neighbor' jingle for State Farm in which year?

Barry Manilow wrote 'Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there' in 1971, before his own hits; Weezer recorded a version for the insurer's ads in 2011.

What is the original Jake from State Farm wearing, in his timid reply to a suspicious wife?

Asked 'What are you wearing, Jake from State Farm?', the original Jake, real employee Jake Stone, replied 'Uh, khakis' in the 2011 ad; Kevin Miles took over the role in 2020.

Which State Farm ad family had NBA players Chris Paul as dad and DeAndre Jordan as mom?

'The Hoopers' (2015) cast Chris Paul as dad and DeAndre Jordan as mom, with Kevin Love as the son, Kevin Garnett the grandfather and Damian Lillard the baby.

Which actress plays Flo, the Progressive Insurance saleswoman?

Stephanie Courtney, a Groundlings alumna, has played Progressive's Flo since 2008, making the white-aproned saleswoman one of TV's longest-running ad characters.

Which insurer's jingle did Peyton Manning start humming in ads from 2014?

Peyton Manning began singing snatches of 'Nationwide is on your side' to the jingle's tune in 2014, the year he became the insurer's spokesman; later spots paired him with Brad Paisley.

Which agency created the GEICO Gecko in 1999?

Richmond, Virginia's The Martin Agency created the Gecko in 1999 to play on people mispronouncing GEICO as 'gecko'; his first ad had him plead 'I am a gecko, not to be confused with GEICO.'

Which Frasier star was an early voice of the GEICO Gecko?

Kelsey Grammer gave the Gecko his first, American-accented voice in 1999; English actor Jake Wood took over in 2005 and gave him a Cockney accent.

The GEICO Cavemen briefly got their own sitcom on which network in 2007?

ABC's sitcom 'Cavemen', spun off from the GEICO ads, premiered on 2 October 2007 and was cancelled within weeks, one of the few sitcoms ever spun off an ad campaign.

Which GEICO character cried 'Wee wee wee' all the way home?

Maxwell the Pig debuted in 2010 squealing 'Wee wee wee' all the way home from the back seat of a minivan, a riff on the 'This Little Piggy' rhyme.

Liberty Mutual's LiMu Emu is accompanied by a human partner named what?

Doug is played by David Hoffman and tries to keep the emu from acting out.

Allstate's 'good hands' slogan dates from which year?

Dennis Haysbert became spokesman in 2003, and Mayhem arrived later.

Who played Dos Equis's Most Interesting Man in the World from 2006 to 2016?

Jonathan Goldsmith played him from 2006 to 2016, basing the voice on his late friend and sailing partner Fernando Lamas; Augustin Legrand took over in 2016.

How was the original Most Interesting Man written out in 2016?

His only regret was not knowing what regret feels like.

Old Spice's 'The Man Your Man Could Smell Like' starred whom?

Isaiah Mustafa, a former NFL practice-squad receiver, starred in Wieden+Kennedy's 2010 spot, which targeted women because they buy most of a household's body wash.

What is the Old Spice man riding at the end of his famous 2010 monologue?

A cart carried Mustafa from the boat set onto the horse in one continuous take.

Cadbury's 2007 'Gorilla' ad has a gorilla drumming along to which song?

The gorilla drums the fill from Phil Collins' 'In the Air Tonight' in Fallon London's 90-second spot, part of Cadbury's £6.2 million 'Glass and a Half Full Productions' campaign.

Who created the Marlboro Man in 1954?

Leo Burnett's Chicago agency created the Marlboro Man in 1954 to make filtered cigarettes, then seen as feminine, appeal to men; sales rose sharply within a year.

Before the cowboy, Marlboro's slogan pitched it as what?

Marlboro launched in 1924 as a women's cigarette with the slogan 'Mild as May' and a red 'beauty tip' to hide lipstick marks; the Burnett cowboy remade it as a men's brand.

A 1991 JAMA study found six-year-olds recognised Joe Camel as readily as which logo?

The 1991 JAMA study found six-year-olds matched Joe Camel to cigarettes as readily as they matched the Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse logo to its channel; R.J. Reynolds retired Joe in 1997.

Elsie the Cow was created in 1936 as the mascot of which dairy company?

Elsie the Cow debuted in Borden's 1936 print ads and appeared live at the 1939 New York World's Fair; Ad Age later named her among the top 10 advertising icons of the 20th century.

Who drew the original Mr. Peanut for a 1916 contest?

Schoolboy Antonio Gentile won Planters' 1916 contest with his peanut-man sketch and five dollars; founder Amedeo Obici later paid for his medical school.

What is Mr. Peanut's full proper name?

Planters revealed via social media that Mr. Peanut's full name is Bartholomew Richard Fitzgerald-Smythe, a name to match his monocle, top hat and spats.

How many licks did Mr. Owl manage before biting the Tootsie Pop in the 1970 ad?

Mr. Owl bit after only three licks; the cow, fox and turtle had all passed the question along, and Paul Winchell voiced the owl.

Who voiced Speedy, the Alka-Seltzer mascot who starred in over 200 TV commercials?

Dick Beals, an adult actor with a child's voice, voiced Speedy in more than 200 Alka-Seltzer spots between 1954 and 1964; Beals, who stood 4 ft 7 in, also voiced Davey in Davey and Goliath.

The 'Got Milk?' campaign launched in 1993 with an ad about which historical figure?

The 1993 'Aaron Burr' spot, directed by Michael Bay for the California Milk Processor Board, had a history buff too peanut-buttered to answer who shot Alexander Hamilton.

The Snuggle fabric-softener bear puppet was created by whom?

Kermit Love also built Big Bird; Corinne Orr was the original voice.

Which mascot was created in 1974 for a French campaign, then redesigned for America in 1988?

Joe Camel was drawn by British artist Nicholas Price for a 1974 French campaign and reworked for the US in 1988; the plain 'Old Joe' dromedary had been on the pack since 1913.

The Doublemint Twins ad campaign began with illustrations in which year?

Wrigley's Doublemint Twins first appeared as illustrated twins in 1939, years before real twin sisters, including Marie and Mildred Maier of Silverhill, Alabama, took the roles.

The M&M's slogan about melting in your mouth, not your hand, was introduced when?

Mars introduced 'Melts in your mouth, not in your hand' in 1949 and trademarked it in 1954; the hard sugar shell let the chocolate travel in warm climates, the candy's original selling point.

Which US network's three-note chimes became the first purely audio service mark, in 1950?

NBC's chimes, used since the late 1920s to cue station breaks, were registered with the US Patent Office in 1950 as the first service mark consisting only of sound.

Intel's five-note 'bong' sonic logo first appeared in ads in which year?

Austrian composer Walter Werzowa wrote Intel's five-note sonic logo in 1994 for the 'Intel Inside' campaign; it went on to close countless PC commercials.

Kars4Kids, of the notoriously catchy jingle, is based in which state?

Kars4Kids is a car-donation charity based in Lakewood, New Jersey, whose proceeds largely fund Oorah, an Orthodox Jewish outreach group.

Toys 'R' Us began in 1948 selling what?

Charles Lazarus opened Children's Bargain Town in Washington, DC in 1948 selling children's furniture, mainly cribs and strollers; customers' requests for toys led to the first Toys 'R' Us in 1957.

Where was the Slinky first demonstrated to the public, in November 1945?

Richard James demonstrated the Slinky at Gimbels department store in Philadelphia in November 1945; the first 400 sold out in 90 minutes at a dollar each.

Which candy pair's jingle went 'Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't'?

Peter Paul's 1970s jingle for Almond Joy and Mounds ran 'Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't', because Almond Joy has almonds on top and Mounds does not.

Miller Lite's origins trace to a reduced-calorie beer from which brewer?

Meister Brau Lite came out in 1967; Miller went national with Lite in 1975.

Which word replaced 'forest fires' in Smokey Bear's famous slogan in April 2001?

'Only You Can Prevent Wildfires' followed fires in grasslands and other non-forest areas; the campaign, begun in 1944, is the longest-running PSA in US history.

Which infomercial pitchman hawked his own ShamWow towel, Slap Chop and Schticky lint roller?

Vince Offer also sold the InVinceable cleaner and directed the 1999 film The Underground Comedy Movie.

Which fast-food founder appeared in more than 800 commercials for the burger chain he named after his daughter?

Dave Thomas later regretted naming Wendy's after his young daughter Melinda Lou, saying it put a lot of pressure on her.

Which Golden Girls star played American football alongside Abe Vigoda in Snickers' 2010 Super Bowl commercial?

Betty White hosted Saturday Night Live that May, aged 88, after a Facebook campaign asking for it drew nearly half a million members.

In Volkswagen's 2011 Super Bowl ad 'The Force', a small boy tries to start a washing machine dressed as which villain?

Darth Vader's powers finally seem to work on the family car, which the boy's father secretly starts by remote control. The story is told without a word of dialogue.

Which cereal does hard-to-please four-year-old Mikey happily eat in an ad campaign that began in 1972?

Life kept the ad on air for 14 years, one of the longest runs of any TV commercial. Mikey's brothers push the bowl to him because he supposedly hates everything.

Which sports drink's 1991 commercial set clips of Michael Jordan to a song about wishing to be 'like Mike'?

Gatorade's ad man wanted 'I Wanna Be Like You' from Disney's The Jungle Book, could not get the rights, and wrote his own lyrics instead.

Which appliance brand's lonely repairman, played by Jesse White from 1967, has nothing to fix all day?

Maytag gave its idle repairman a companion in the 1980s: Newton, a basset hound named after the company's home town in Iowa.

Which restaurant chain's baby back ribs jingle is sung by a villain in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me?

Chili's jingle was written by Guy Bommarito for a Texas ad agency, and a 1996 version was sung a cappella by the vocal group Take 6.

Which phone carrier's horn-rimmed 'Test Man' spent 2002 to 2011 asking callers whether they could hear him now?

Verizon dropped its Test Man in 2011, and from 2016 actor Paul Marcarelli made commercials for rival Sprint about his switch.

Which brand's 1975 jingle, with music by Barry Manilow, is about a product that sticks to the singer?

Band-Aid was invented in 1920 by Johnson & Johnson employee Earle Dickson for his wife Josephine, who kept cutting and burning herself while cooking.

Which tuna brand keeps rejecting Charlie, a beret-wearing cartoon fish who believes his good taste makes him a catch?

StarKist's announcer always turns him down: the brand wants tuna that tastes good, not tuna with good taste.

Which company's slogan about a diamond lasting forever was coined by copywriter Frances Gerety in 1947?

De Beers saw its line named the best advertising slogan of the 20th century by Advertising Age magazine.

Which company's traveler's cheques did actor Karl Malden warn TV viewers not to leave home without?

American Express kept Malden as the face of its traveler's cheques long after the 1970s: his last television ad for the company aired in 1994.

Which soft drink did David Naughton sing and dance for before starring in An American Werewolf in London?

Dr Pepper's commercials made Naughton popular enough to be cast as the star of the sitcom Makin' It, whose theme song he took into the US top five.

Which soft drink sold itself as the opposite of a cola in ads where Geoffrey Holder held up cola nuts?

Seven Up later turned the red dot in its logo into a mascot called Spot, who starred in the 1993 video game Cool Spot.

Which rock singer's song 'Like a Rock' was the soundtrack of Chevrolet truck commercials from 1991 until 2004?

Bob Seger was the second choice: Chevrolet first asked for Bruce Springsteen's 'Born in the U.S.A.' and was turned down.

Which Rolling Stones single did Microsoft pay about $3 million to use in its launch campaign for Windows 95?

Start Me Up was a nod to the Start button that Windows 95 introduced. The Rolling Stones had long been known for refusing to let their songs sell products.

Which actor from Oz and 30 Rock was introduced in 2010 as 'Mayhem' in Allstate's insurance commercials?

Dean Winters, who played Dennis Duffy on 30 Rock, was joined in the Mayhem ads in 2019 by his co-star Tina Fey.

Which dot-com's sock puppet mascot starred in a 2000 Super Bowl ad months before the company shut down?

Pets.com paid $1.2 million for the spot and was out of business that November. Its puppet was even interviewed by People magazine.

Which Super Bowl-winning quarterback wore Beautymist pantyhose in one ad and was shaved by Farrah Fawcett in another?

Joe Namath made the shaving-cream ad when Fawcett was still unknown. His commercials helped turn 'Broadway Joe' into a pop-culture icon.

Which president's campaign aired the 'Daisy' ad, in which a small girl counting petals gives way to a nuclear countdown?

Lyndon Johnson's campaign aired it only once, yet it is counted among the biggest factors in his landslide win over Barry Goldwater.

The last cigarette ad on US television aired at 11:59 pm, just before a federal ban, during which late-night program?

The Tonight Show ran the Virginia Slims spot in the last legal minute. The ban began on 2 January so the New Year's Day bowl games could keep their cigarette ads.

Iron Eyes Cody, the 'Crying Indian' of 1970s anti-litter ads, was in fact the son of immigrants from which country?

Italy was the homeland of both his parents. He was born Espera Oscar de Corti in Louisiana, wore his costumes off screen and denied the story when a newspaper broke it.

Which padlock maker's 1974 Super Bowl commercial showed its product holding firm after being shot by a sharpshooter?

Master Lock repeated the stunt at later Super Bowls, spending almost its entire annual marketing budget on that single commercial.

Which rapper drove a Chrysler 200 to Detroit's Fox Theatre in a two-minute commercial during Super Bowl XLV?

Eminem ends the ad on stage with the Selected of God choir, after a drive through Detroit set to an instrumental of his song Lose Yourself.

Which fast-food chain's ads feature Holstein cows holding misspelled signs urging people to eat chicken instead of beef?

Chick-fil-A paused the cow campaign in January 2004 during a mad cow disease scare, so as not to seem to be cashing in on it.

Which antacid brand, whose ads spelled relief with its own name, sponsored baseball's Relief Man of the Year Award?

Rolaids had people in its ads spell relief using the letters of its own name. The pun fitted the top relief pitcher award, which it sponsored from 1976 to 2012.

Which actor replaced John Goodman as the voice of the yellow M&M in 1996 and later fronted Farmers Insurance ads?

J. K. Simmons appears in the insurance ads as Professor Nathaniel Burke of the 'University of Farmers', a role he took on in 2010.

Which company's Super Bowl commercial introduced Brother Dominic, a monk spared decades of copying manuscripts by hand?

Xerox feared the ad would be called blasphemous, so it was screened for the Archbishop of New York, who was amused and gave it his blessing.

Which boxed side dish, based on an Armenian pilaf recipe, has long been advertised as a San Francisco speciality?

Rice-A-Roni came from San Francisco's DeDomenico family, pasta makers who in 1958 boxed a family dinner dish of rice and macaroni with dry chicken soup mix.

Which toy became the first ever advertised on television in 1952, in a campaign aimed at children rather than parents?

Mr. Potato Head was sold as loose plastic parts to pin onto a real potato. Hasbro added a plastic body later, after complaints about rotting vegetables.

Which watch brand hired newsman John Cameron Swayze in 1956 to put its watches through torture tests on live TV?

Timex once lost a watch on air when Swayze strapped it to an outboard motor's propeller. He ad-libbed that it was probably on the bottom of the tank, still ticking.

Which future US president hosted General Electric Theater from 1954 and toured the company's plants as a speaker?

Ronald Reagan's contract sent him to 135 GE plants and labs as a motivational speaker, where he met more than 250,000 people.

Juan Valdez, a fictional farmer shown in ads since 1958 with his mule Conchita, promotes coffee from which country?

Colombia's coffee growers wanted drinkers to tell their beans from blends, so an American ad agency invented Valdez, who was first played by a Cuban actor.

Which 1952 presidential candidate answered ordinary citizens' questions in forty 20-second television spots?

Dwight Eisenhower filmed all his answers in one day. The 'ordinary' questioners were visitors to Radio City Music Hall, filmed gazing up at him.

Which singer of the jingle 'See the USA in Your Chevrolet' ended each of her 1950s variety shows by throwing a kiss?

Dinah Shore was so tied to her sponsor that she once introduced guest Tennessee Ernie Ford, tongue in cheek, with the carmaker's name in place of his surname.

Which cigarette brand's 1954 slogan irked grammarians by using the word like where they wanted as?

Winston answered the grammarians in 1970 with a new slogan that asked smokers whether they wanted good grammar or good taste.

Which cigarette brand, announced by a bellboy's shouted 'call', sponsored I Love Lucy from its 1951 debut?

Philip Morris found its bellboy, Johnny Roventini, working at the New Yorker Hotel in 1933. As sponsor it insisted that the sitcom air every week.

Which hair-color brand's 1956 campaign teased that only the hairdresser knows for sure whether a woman uses it?

Clairol's teasing question came from junior copywriter Shirley Polykoff, whose future mother-in-law had once asked the same thing about her hair.

Which actress became the face of Westinghouse appliances with live commercials during Studio One in the 1950s?

Betty Furness is often blamed for a famous live blooper, a refrigerator door that refused to open, but her stand-in June Graham was the one at the handle.

Which Motown hit did the claymation California Raisins sing in their 1980s commercials?

I Heard It Through the Grapevine was the whole joke: a copywriter said the agency had tried everything but dancing raisins singing it. Buddy Miles sang lead.

Which 1980s TV character became the global spokesman for New Coke?

Max Headroom was really actor Matt Frewer in prosthetic make-up and a moulded plastic suit, sitting in front of a blue screen.

Which two-sport star fails at playing guitar beside a blues legend in a 1989 Nike cross-training commercial?

Bo Jackson's ad first aired in the break right after he hit a lead-off home run in the 1989 All-Star Game. Blues legend Bo Diddley delivers the punchline.

Which pizza chain's 1980s ads warned customers about the Noid, a villain in a rabbit-like mask and red bodysuit?

Domino's villain spawned a 1989 computer game, Avoid the Noid, in which the player has half an hour to deliver a pizza through a building full of Noids.

Which mustard does a Rolls-Royce passenger politely request from the car alongside in a commercial first shown in 1981?

Grey Poupon's ad set out to show that the finer things, like white wine mustard, need not cost much. Wayne's World parodied it in 1992.

Which cable channel's 1982 campaign had Mick Jagger and David Bowie urging viewers to call and demand it?

MTV adapted its line from a 1950s cereal commercial, and Sting later sang it on the Dire Straits hit Money for Nothing.

Which Beatles song became the band's first recording licensed for a TV commercial when Nike used it in 1987?

Revolution cost Nike $500,000 for a year's use, and the commercial prompted a lawsuit from the surviving Beatles.

Which standard did Mac Tonight, the moon-headed piano crooner of 1980s McDonald's ads, turn into a dinner jingle?

Mack the Knife was dropped in 1989 after the son of singer Bobby Darin, who made the song famous in America, sued the chain.

Which delivery company's 1981 commercial starred John Moschitta as a fast-talking executive called Jim Spleen?

Federal Express, as FedEx was then known, found Moschitta after he rattled off a song from The Music Man on the TV show That's Incredible!

Which snack maker's commercials show elves led by Ernie baking cookies inside the Hollow Tree?

Keebler's elves arrived in 1968, and the cast grew to include Ma Keebler, Fast Eddie the wrapper and Buckets, who threw fudge on the cookies.

Which budget lodging chain hired Alaskan builder Tom Bodett in 1986 to voice ads promising to keep a light on?

Motel 6 got its famous sign-off by accident: Bodett ad-libbed the line, after an ad agency creative director heard him on public radio.