Yeah, I’ve also been thinking about Ames

Ames Department Store Final Voicemail video {not mine, from bigmikey128}

I think the clips of the silly girl in Ames comes from the Ames Department Store Training video {from user biffbulkie}

//edit, March 13//

I watched this video today (and its a parody)

Ames Department stores closing commercial {not mine, from vibe88}

I’ve Been Thinking A Lot About Bradlees Lately…

Bradlees Final Days Commercial (2001) {Not mine, from user moldymac}

NBA 1974 Boston Celtics Bradlees Commercials {not mine, from user TRJ22487}

Bradlees After-Thanksgiving Commercial (1995) {not mine, from user MBZ321}

The Caldor Rainbow: Bradlees Store Locator PLUS 

Flickr tags for Bradlees 

{the previous times we’ve mentioned Bradlees}

Some 1995 Local Commercials

Not much has been going on retail wise, so here are some commercials from local channels in the Hampton Roads area from 1995. I found a TON of these tapes at the old Salvation Army on Mercury Blvd in 2004. I only bought four, I wish I had bought the whole box now :(. Honestly, the only local stuff on here are the car dealership commercials, events at the Hampton Coliseum, theme parks, and news promos.

1995 Commercials {Multiply.com mirror}

This is from channel 27 in the Hampton Roads, VA area.

-The ending of a Platypus Man promo
-A man buys a purple ford ranger. For some reason, I can’t imagine in 2008 having an ad where a guy buys a purple truck.
-Starburst
-Anacin
-AT&T with Jane Leeves (there was like this trend in 1995 with NBC celbs in AT&T ads or something, I also have one with David Schwimmer in it)
-Grape Nuts
-Platypus man on “NPU!” — when I found out that Richard Jeni died–THIS was the first thing I thought of.

-Marker promo
-Kings Dominion theme park
-Pennzoil
-Bob Crumpler Nissan
-Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Show at the Hampton Coliseum

1995 Commercials Part II {Multiply.com mirror

-Midas
-NFL on TNT (that only lasted a couple of football seasons, right?)
-Father Goose promo
-RK Chevy Geo Subraru (local Hampton Roads spot)
-Susan Powder show promo
-TNT Monster Vision
-The River Wild
-Caress Body Wash
-Simmons Beautyrest
-CNN Presents
-National Geographic Explorer promo
-The story of the NFL promo
-Lifetime Designing Women Contest
-WTKR promo (aka, the worst news station in Hampton Roads)

///edit///

Oh, apparently I did not get comments emailed to me this week, I had to read each one by one in wordpress’ dashboard. Sorry for the delay.

The Worst Holiday {retail} Commercials of 2007

I actually woke up at 4 a.m. Christmas morning, and remembered I wanted to make this post for quite a while now.
This year was not a good year for the holiday commercials it seems. Every retail one seemed half-rear-ended or had very annoying music. Like, for example J.C. Penney and Old Navy holiday spots, both using a very whiney and breathless singer. Don’t get me started on the Old Navy one with the chick who is just walking around in bootlike slippers, a tanktop and underwear. God, I hate Old Navy so much….especially since I heard they only stock plus size clothes online now. Why don’t they just put a sign up at the door that said, “No Fatties”. Target needs to put the same sign up, because their plus size section is not even the size of my bedroom….

ok. I veered off topic.

But, speaking of Target, boy was their ad disappointing this year. It started out promising with the after Thanksgiving day sale commercials (although that game on the website related to that ad was a pain to navigate), but went downhill with this jarbled up advent commercial spots. At first I thought I was watching a credit card commercial the um….first 50 times I saw it. TruFax.

(these commercials are not mine, I found them off of YouTube)

2007 Target Christmas Spot {1}, {2}, {3}

At the moment I can’t find a video of the J.C. Penney spots with the whiney warbely singer. I did however, find one that aired around the last minute of the holidays. The “Kelly is a Boy’s Name Too” spot. J.C. Penney saved themselves with that one.

A commercial that riled up a lot of people over at the Television Without Pity Commercial boards was the Burlington Coat Factory spot where a girl tells an adult party guest, “I believe in cashmere.” Unfortunately I can’t find that one at the moment.

The WORST WORST WORST!! ones were for Kohls (another store I don’t like due to their crappy plus size selection, and the whole Keeping Up with the Jonses suburbanite feel of the store), and their take on the most annoying song in the universe, DeLovely. Commercial. This is from the same guy who uploaded the Target commercials, AnthonyL001.

I wish I had been able to upload some more of my commercials * this holiday season, but due to moving, I couldn’t.

Ok, back to feigning sleep for a few hours.

1982 Montgomery Ward Day After Thanksgiving Commercial (not mine)

Since its usually just me, mom and dad on Thanksgiving, one of our highlights is to look at the salespapers Thanksgiving morning.

It’s hard to believe that back in the day after Thanksgiving sales started at 8 a.m.. We’re so used to them starting at like, six a.m. or some cases now midnight or four a.m.

The Big Retail Playlist

Playlist

I’ve been composing this for the past couple of months. None of these videos are mine, and I’ll constantly be adding on to it.

Pee Wee Christmas Special Commercial Break (1988)

Multiply Mirror

Includes:

-Lego (with Zack the Lego Maniac.)

-Wind Song (with a Tori Amos look a like)

-Pee Wee’s Playhouse

-A Christmas Carol (with the guy from the Equalizer)

-Citibank (I have so many parodies of these ads in my commercial collection)

-Osco (check out how expensive those blank VHS tapes are! And how cheap those Little Golden books are)

-”Will we be having a white Christmas? Tonight’s forecast at 10″

——

This is from my own commercial collection (scraped together from friend’s tapes). One of the reasons why I’m posting it here is because of the Osco commercial and the VHS tape prices. It reminded me of my post earlier this month involving the “I’M BUYIN’” Wal Mart guy who just got a new VCR and he needed some tapes.

Two 1986 Wal Mart Commercials (not mine)

Wal Mart Chic Jeans Ad - “She has no ass”, “wow…flat ass.”, “Nice Chevelle………flat ass though.”, “Melanie must not look good if we can’t see what she looks like.”, “this is actually a LOT less painful than the Wal-Mart commericals they make now….”

Polaroid VHS Tapes - “Of course, nowadays you can get 2 for .99 cents!”, “I’M BUYIN!”. Ok, I’m just going to say it…that dude sounds a little special. Yeah, I’m gonna be getting the hate mail now.

Kristin’s Simpsons Commercial Break

Luv that Rosanne Font

Back in February, my friend Kristin sent me a TON of her old tapes that she recently converted to DVD. LOTS of commercial gems on these tapes. I’ve slowly been trying to upload them. Once you read the description you’ll know why I included this set in this blog:

Kristin’s Simpsons Commercial Break:
This was during the Maggie’s first word episode. Includes:

-Streetfighter for Super Nintendo (again!)
-Duracell batteries (remember that battery tester on the package! I thought that was the coolest thing ever when I was a little kid.)
-Levi’s 501 jeans
-YET ANOTHER Home Alone 2: Lost In New York promo
-Batman The Animated series
-1992 Billboard Music Awards promo
-Martin promo
-Montgomery Ward (!!!) price cuts sale

I don’t like…understand the commercial. Where is that man and that woman at? Where are they reporting from? A radio station newsroom? Why does it remind me of one of the final scenes of that MST3K film “Rocket Attack USA” where the radio newsman is telling his wife and baby over the radio that he’ll probably never see them again because the Russian nuclear weapon that looks like a pen is heading straight to the city.

1982 Venture Save With Style Commercial

This old Venture commercial was profiled in the Yahoo! Remembering Retail group.

What tickles me is:

The dad and the son looking at the Kodak Disc Film and Cameras. Disc died in the very very very very very late 1980’s. My mom has a bag of disc film that was never developed.

How bright yet dark the store looks. Sure the walls are yellow and brown and the carpet is orange, but it looks like the store is just lit by flashlights in the clothing department

—-

Venture died in 1998. {Wikipedia page}