Kodak cameras and film have been a success story since 1898….as one of the dominant players in the industry until 2012….when the company went through Chapter 11 bankruptcy…. after which it sold its photographic film, scanners and kiosk operations…..but back in 1982 when this commercial aired….they were at the top of the heap with their instant cameras and film products….and having the popular TV star Dick Van Dyke pitch their products was dang near a match made in heaven….for Van Dyke and Kodak were synonymous with having fun at the time while making those Kodak Moments.
Windex is a glass and hard-surface cleaner….which was invented by the Drackett Company in 1933….and has been marketed throughout the intervening decades. Windex was originally sold in glass containers before adding plastic and metal containers over time. Drackett sold Windex to Bristol-Meyers in 1965….. which sold to S. C. Johnson in 1993 and has been manufacturing it since. Back in the day, as well as today, whenever Joe Public refers to cleaning the windows….they say, “Go get the Windex and some newspaper….and clean the windows”.
Dr. Pepper Soda was formulated by Brooklyn-born pharmacist Charles Alderton in Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store in Waco, Texas. To test his new drink, he first offered it to store owner Wade Morrison….who also found it to his liking. Patrons at Morrison’s soda fountain soon learned of Alderton’s new drink….and began ordering a “Waco”. Alderton gave the formula to Morrison, who named it Dr Pepper….which as with Coca Cola….the formula for Dr Pepper is a trade secret….and allegedly the recipe is kept as two halves in safe deposit boxes in two separate Dallas banks. A persistent rumor since the 1930’s is that the drink contains prune juice….but the official Dr Pepper FAQ refutes this with “Dr Pepper is a unique blend of natural and artificial flavors which does not contain prune juice.” The origin of the rumor is unknown, but some believe it was started by a deliveryman for a competitor trying to cast aspersions based on prune juice’s laxative effects….but it may simply be because many people feel that Dr Pepper tastes similar to prune juice. Regardless, like this Dr. Pepper commercial says…..“I’m a pepper….he’s a pepper….wouldn’t you like to be a pepper too!?!
Robert Oscar Peterson already owned several successful restaurants when he opened Topsy’s Drive-In at 6270 El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego in 1941….as several more Topsy’s were opened and eventually renamed Oscar’s (after Peterson’s middle name)….in which by the late 1940’s had developed a circus-like décor featuring drawings of a starry-eyed clown. In 1947, Peterson obtained rights for the intercom ordering concept from George Manos….who owned one location named Chatterbox in Anchorage, Alaska ….which was the first known location to use the intercom concept for drive-up windows….and In 1951, he converted the El Cajon Boulevard location into Jack in the Box….a hamburger stand focused on drive-through service. While the drive-through concept was not new, Jack in the Box innovated a two-way intercom system….and became the first major chain to use an intercom and the first to focus on drive-through. The intercom allowed much faster service than a traditional drive-up window….for while one customer was being served at the window….a second and even a third customer’s order could be taken and prepared. A giant clown projected from the roof….and a smaller clown head sat atop the intercom…. where a sign said, “Pull forward, Jack will speak to you.” The Jack in the Box restaurant was conceived as a “modern food machine” designed by La Jolla, California master architect Russell Forester.…as quick service made the new location very popular….and soon all of Oscar’s locations were redesigned with intercoms and rechristened Jack in the Box restaurants….then sometime around the mid-1980’s….the Jack in the Box clown was replaced by the Jack in the Box styrofoam headed Jack….and advertising history was made for the next 33 years to the present.
Curtis Mathes, Inc is a North American electronics retailer initially based in Garland, Texas….which specializes in the sale of private label brand electronics and repair services….as it manufactured its own brand of televisions in Athens, Texas until July 31, 1982 at the time this commercial aired….and ten years later, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and reorganization….which allowed it to stay in business and use future earnings to pay off creditors….as the company is now based in Frisco, Texas. Known for its commercials touting its televisions as the “most expensive television set in America, and darn well worth it”…..the company was credited with introducing longer warranties to electronics retailing.
Waverest Waterbeds were the most successful waterbed company in Austin, Texas in 1982…..and still are today in 2018….as literally hundreds of thousands of Central Texas patrons have slept on their beds for the past 36 years.
