1980sTV Ads

TV Ads – 1984 – Kentucky Fried Chicken + Kemper Insurance + RCA + Walter Mondale For President

DOG COMMENTARY:

KFC, until 1991 known as Kentucky Fried Chicken….is an American fast food restaurant chain that specializes in fried chicken….which is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky….and is currently the world’s second-largest restaurant chain (as measured by sales) after McDonald’s…..with almost 20,000 locations globally in 123 countries and territories as of December 2015. The chain is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands…. which is a restaurant company that also owns the Pizza Hut and Taco Bell chains.  KFC was founded by entrepreneur Colonel Harland Sanders….who began selling fried chicken from his roadside restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky during the Great Depression.

Kemper Corporation is one of America’s major insurance providers….with a group of companies that specializes in home, auto, life and health insurance products for individuals, families and small businesses.  Their trademark advertising campaign was designed around the US Cavalry charge….as they are coming to the rescue of those stranded out on the plains.

The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company….which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919….and was initially a wholly owned subsidiary of General Electric (GE)…. however, in 1932, GE was required to divest its control as part of the settlement of an antitrust suit.  At its height as an independent company….RCA was the dominant communications firm in the United States. Beginning in the early 1920’s, RCA was a major manufacturer of radio receivers….who also developed the first national radio network, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC)….then it had a leading role in the introduction of black-and-white television in the 1940’s and 1950’s….and color television in the 1950’s and 1960’s.  During this time the company was closely identified with the leadership of David Sarnoff….who was general manager at its founding….who became company president in 1930….who then remained active as chairman of the board until the end of 1969.

The United States presidential election of 1984 was the 50th quadrennial presidential election….which was held on Tuesday, November 6, 1984….as incumbent Republican President Ronald Reagan defeated former Vice President Walter Mondale, the Democratic candidate.  Reagan faced only token opposition in his bid for re-nomination by the Republicans…as he and Vice President George H.W. Bush were easily re-nominated….whereas Mondale defeated Senator Gary Hart and several other candidates in the 1984 Democratic primaries….then chose Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro of New York as his running mate….which made Ferraro the first woman to serve on either major party’s national ticket…..which makes this campaign advertisement for the Democratic ticket a piece of American history. 

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