Commercials Page 1
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Cartoon characters started to become effective product pitchmen in the early days

Cereal companies often backed the initial production costs of cartoon programs just as they did primetime shows - to better integrate their product messages using the main characters.

More people today know the Cheerios Kid, Cap'n Crunch and the Trix Rabbit than know Pixie, Dixie and Jinx (who were selling Raisin Bran in 1961).

Willie Mays for Coke
1967(?) 

An early TV sports star soft drink endorsement - featuring the most famous San Francisco Giant slugger of all time in an 'intimate' portrait that takes you back to the locker room to talk privately to the 'Say Hey Kid'.

An ad for Winston Cigarettes

James Dean PSA for Driving Safety  (1955)

 James Dean in an ironic PSA (public service announcement) for driving safety with Gig Young. A disinterested Dean tells young kids to drive safely and that the life you might save, could be his.

Jonathan Winters Show  (1957)

The Jonathan Winters Show - featuring Jonathan Winters. The show premiered as a lead-in to Huntley-Brinkley Report and ran for about 9 months.

The show was sponsored by Tums and Vicks Vapor Rub.

Richard Diamond, Private Detective

This is a classic detective show, made in 1957. Richard Diamond Private Detective was originally written by Blake Edwards and starred Dick Powell as the cool private eye on a radio show. When the TV medium came along... Powell decided he was too busy, so he recruited a young actor named David Meyer, who later changed his name to Janssen at Powell's suggestion. Diamond was an ex OSS officer, who later decides to become a private eye. The show is remembered for a character named Sam, a hot secretary. We never saw her face - just her legs. Mary Tyler Moore was the first Sam, until she revealed her role and did a hosiery ad for TV guide, and they promptly fired her.

The sponsor for this show was Maxwell House Coffee, which had a slogan - Flavor Bud Flavor

Maxwell House Coffee

Morris’ career began in 1968 when 9Lives Cat Food discovered a lonely tabby in a suburban Chicago animal shelter. But there was something different about the lonely tabby. He had style, he had personality, he had what it took to be dubbed “Morris.” He was soon the focus of the entire nation, as the star of his very first 9Lives television commercial. From then on, Morris became the most recognizable cat in the world.

Give-away from the 1950s from Wonder Bread.    Round cardboard disk has a string attached, when you attached to your shirt and pull the string, the disk flips up to reveal the other side.

Barbie Dream House by Mattel  (1970)

 Even Barbie did her own commercials!  In this commercial Barbie is showing off her own “Dream House“  Barbie's Dream House folded up real neatly - and Mom's liked that!