10. Bubble Yum
In this new wave synth-pop bizarro world, the only way to relax after a long day’s work is to reward oneself with a new pack of Bubble Yum. The commercial is perfect: like Bubble Yum itself, it’s fun, colorful, and a little weird. Bubble Yum is clearly not trying to sell us on nostalgia or tradition–this is a gum for people who just want to “Yum it Up”. Two new flavors are introduced, but it doesn’t really matter–they could have said “It comes in green now!” and the commercial would still be as effective, due to the fact that the presentation of Bubble Yum was always more impressive than the taste. If Gwen Stefani ever feels like Yumming It Up, I’m sure a remake of this commercial would still work today.
9. Hershey Bar
This one was a little before my time, but when I told people I was compiling this list, this commercial was always mentioned as a sentimental favorite. It’s hard to argue with the claim: if any chocolate bar is distincly American, it would have to be the Hershey bar. The commercial itself is a celebration of America: diversity, Americana, and the landscape itself are all prominently featured. Hershey wanted you to know that it thought America was pretty great, and that America, apparently, felt the same about Hershey.
8. Ring Pop
The Ring Pop people wanted to take it slow here. Perhaps they thought the idea of a lollipop ring was a bit too difficult for children to grasp. That can be the only explanation for the first line of this jingle:You can wear a ring around your finger! Ring Pop! Stay with us, kids! You can wear a ring around your finger!
Then, after 10 seconds of showing children eating their Ring Pops, the jingle informs us: It’s a lollipop, without a stick! A ring of flavor you can lick! So that’s what it is! Brilliant.
Even at age seven I knew this commercial was a bit insulting. Still, it was really catchy, and Ring Pops are delicious, up until the point where they melt all over your finger and you just look crazy trying to get the last bits of delicious lolly flavor from your once bejeweled hands.
7. Doublemint Gum
For some reason, it seems that gum jingles are much more memorable than their candy counterparts. There have already been two gum jingles on the countdown, and there are more to come. This particular jingle is peppy, repetitive, and even more effective when played over double-takes of happy people whose happiness is clearly linked to their use of Doublemint Gum. It there is a clear message here: “Chew Doublemint and you will be attractive and loveable.” No Single Gum, indeed.
6. Almond Joy
Almond Joy, I’ll have you know, has nuts, and Mounds don’t. If this commercial is as ingrained in your mind as it is in mine, then you know exactly why that is.
5. Big Red
I have to be honest: I hated these commercials growing up. They would always come on while I was watching TV with my parents, and there is nothing worse than being 10 years old, watching TGIF with Mom and Dad, and having a commercial come on wherein two people kiss endlessly thanks to their long-lasting fresh breath. Am I alone on this? One second I’m watching DJ Tanner in a crisis, and then, boom–it’s the Big Red Make Out Minute. Gross!
4. Mentos
Oh, the Mentos commercials. For a while there in the early 1990′s, they were pretty inescapable. The Foo Fighters even went so far as to parody them in their “Big Me” video, further cementing their pop-culture status. Like most things that become pop phenomenons, we fell for the Mentos commercials because they were silly, dumb, and horribly catchy. As the jingle promises: “nothing gets to you, staying fresh, staying cool”, when you have a pack of Mentos in your pocket.
We learn in this particular commercial that “staying fresh, staying cool” gives this woman the nerve to do things she ordinarily wouldn’t do, like, say, asking four guys to pick up her car and move it out of its blocked-in parking spot. Even the jerk who blocked her in is impressed with her moxie! Mentos has softened his cold heart as well. The Freshmaker has truly worked its magic on all of us.
3. Juicy Fruit
Juicy Fruit is gonna move ya….for about 15 seconds, until the flavor wears out. But still, for those 15 seconds, you are going to ski like you’ve never skied before. Why was everyone skiing in these commercials? It was always water skiing or ski jumping with Juicy Fruit. Are you even supposed to chew gum while you flip around on skis? Isn’t that incredibly dangerous? And why is everyone on the mountain in shorts and half-buttoned shirts? Does Juicy Fruit move you enough to protect you from frostbite? As an East Coast kid, I always felt like a bit of a poseur with this gum. I really wanted it to transport me to a world of sun and fun, but Juicy Fruit wasn’t moving me anywhere, except to the driveway to shovel, and I always had to wear a hat.
2. Tootsie Roll
“Tootsie Roll, I think I’m in love with you.” How could you not be, after watching this commercial? It’s sweet and lovely and will most likely get stuck in your head for the rest of the day. Many of us have probably imagined a world made of candy at some point or another, and this commercial captures that perfectly. This commercial was old when I was a kid, but I still loved it. It’s a bit like a Tootsie Roll itself: it may be old school, but it’s still one of the best.
1. Kit Kat
You have to be careful when you have a Kit Kat bar in your hands. It is almost certain that someone will ask you to “gimme a break” off of it. Once one person asks, two more will join in, then four, and soon enough your entire office/classroom/family/ neighborhood/tri-state area will be singing along, begging for you to give them a break as well. There are only 4 pieces to a Kit Kat bar. If this jingle breaks out, and you only have one Kit Kat, you might consider running. Very, very fast.
Hope you enjoyed a trip down memory lane for all of the great candy commercials that we have seen in the last 25-30 years. Just remember for all your activities/fundraisers/gift bags that you may have and candy needs please feel free to
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