Classic Chicago Commercials
The shows we watch on television can range from quality entertainment to guilty pleasure. Commercials can go the same way - some are well-produced, informative showcases for their products, and some are so bad or quirky that you love them for entirely different reasons. Here's a list of the best hometown ads Chicago has ever produced.
Victory Auto Wreckers
"That old car is worth money!" says a voiceover. You'd hardly believe it after the man in the shot just pulled the door off his car, but apparently it was worth enough to Victory that they could afford to advertise for it. While they stopped advertising the "cash on the spot" for the cars, it certainly spoke to a different time – but the same 1981 actor with his same mullet has been pulling that car door off for decades, and the company shows no sign of changing it.
Moo & Oink
One Cow costume, one pig costume, and some lightly choreographed dancing are all Moo and Oink needed to embed themselves in the city's conscious forever. Using the same "Moo-moo-moo and Oink!" jingle for the past twenty-some years, the chain has also occasionally updated the characters – currently commercials for Moo & Oink Stunnaz" can be found on YouTube.
Eagle Man
There's probably no more famous commercial in Chicago than that for Eagle Insurance. RDR Productions put a man in an Eagle suit, did some pretty horrendous dubbing, and showed a less-than-passing understanding of bird reproduction. But the commercial ran with it, and introduced a Spanish version, a guest appearance from Mancow Mueller, and even Eagle Woman.
Celozzi-Ettelson Chevrolet
Nick Celozzi and Maury Ettleson weren't the world's best actors. Their ennunciation was sub-par, and their wardrobe choices of say, a tie and sweater were less than sexy. But never underestimate a good catch phrase and a fan of dollar bills – "Where you always save more money" became so famous that they also made a Pizza Hut commercial parodying themselves. And that video featured a cameo from another famous Chicago commercial personality…
Empire Carpet
When Elmer Lynn Hauldren died, many people thought he was the owner of Empire Carpet. Instead, Lynn was simply a jingle writer who took the role of commercial star when the owner didn't like any of the auditioning actors. Hauldren's kind, soft-spoken delivery won audiences over, and his barbershop quartet's singing of the phone number was a part of the company's commercials for almost 40 years. While he lives on in a digital version of himself in the commercials, Chicago will miss one of its most familiar faces.
Dan Morgridge is a writer in Chicago's Ukranian Village. He enjoys eating and drinking above his means, finding new music, and socially conscious hedonism.
