Master Lock is an American company that develops padlocks, combination locks, safes and related security products….which is now a subsidiary of Fortune Brands Home & Security….as Master Lock Company LLC was formed in 1921 by locksmith/inventor Harry E. Soref….which is now headquartered in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. In 1970, the company was purchased by American Brands from Soref’s heirs…. which was later renamed to Fortune Brands. This particular ad features Master Locks being shot by a .44 caliber magnum pistol at short range to show the security of their locks was their lead campaign for many many years….I mean, after all….it is a pretty good visual.
We couldn’t find out anything about Hyponex Lawn Fertilizer….but they did have a really good pitch man in Miami Dolphins Coach Don Shula…..who had led his Dolphins to an undefeated season in 1972 (7 years before this ad)….along with winning two Super Bowls between ’72 and ’79….which made him a very popular sports icon. However, we did find a little blurb about Scotts Corporation acquiring the “lawn and garden business of Hyponex Corporation” in 1988….who were the largest producer and marketer of organic growing media products in the U.S….which was a leading consumer lawn and garden products company with operations in the Netherlands and Belgium…..who sold fertilizers and growing media in the world.
Midas, Inc. is an American chain of automotive service centers headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida…..which are either licensed or franchised…..as Midas is one of the world’s largest providers of automotive services, offering brake, maintenance, tires, exhaust, steering and suspension services at more than 2,000 franchised, licensed and company-owned Midas shops in 13 countries….including nearly 1,300 in the United States of America and Canada….for “Get the Midas Touch” has been around for a long time.
The real show of this video collection of 1979 television advertisement if The Peanuts Gang for Met Life….as these cartoons characters just seemed to be perfectly matched with the types of folks who would need the services and security of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company….as we are sure that is why Met Life has used them for so long…..cuz Charlie Brown, Lucy, Snoopy, Linus and Pigpin just seemed to cover the entire spectrum of potential clients.
