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Birthday
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Furby
Link text. Furbys came out in the 90s, but when I was really little I would see this ad all the time on TV. I think I only remember it so vividly because it's so creepy and unsettling. -
Subway $5 Footlong
Link text. I don’t remember if I went to Subway that often at all but I sure remember these ads with the bizarre characters holding up a 5 and the
annoying song playing. -
Disney's Club Penguin
Link text. The absolute best video game of my childhood. An online game I got into after seeing an ad on TV showing all the fun minigames and such. I played this game for a couple of years and definitely made my parents put money into it as I gamed with my friends. I think the personification of cute penguins and balls of fur really paid off for Disney because it was quick to become a respected entertainment for children everywhere. Waddle on! -
Fushigi
Link text. A 'magic gravity ball' to be used for cool magic tricks. I never bought into this one, I always thought it was hilarious with the over-hyped ads and clearly fake endorsements from people on the street. -
Dungeons and Dragons
When I was younger D&D was my favorite game to play. My dad got me into it after he saw a starting kit at the game board store and was flooded with nostalgia. After a game like this makes a new recreated version they will always sell well because people remember the fun they used to have and want to get back into it. This exactly happened with my dad and I don't doubt the same will happen with me. -
RedBull Crashed Ice
Link text. Since 2012 there has been a speed skating obstacle event in Saint Paul every year called Crashed Ice. All things hockey are a big deal in Minnesota and I think RedBull got a lot of respect from me and other Minnesotans for hosting this event. It is one of many sporting events hosted by RedBull in the US every year. -
Wii
Link text. Playing Wii bowling as a family always made for a good evening. Today I have no clue where are Wii is but when we used to have it set up my whole family would use it more than cable TV. The ads would always make me amazed and I remember the popularity of it at the time made my sister and I practically beg my parents for it. -
Milk
Link text. Pretty straightforward but I drink a lot of milk every day. Just always been something enjoyed to have with every meal. However, in 2014 for the Olympics, and now again in 2018, I started seeing several ads about the benefits of drinking milk and how all the Olympians do it. It is really memorable because it was some reassurance on my side to my milk craving my parents sometimes beat down on me for. -
The Force Awakens
Link text. A new Star Wars movie was obviously a big deal at home. However, it's memorable because at the time it was competing with several other movies on its release such as The Big Short. In total, I think I watched the trailer on tv for longer than the movie's runtime. I went to go see the movie with my family and we all enjoyed it but the nostalgic effect definitely worked on me better than my parents. -
South Dakota
Link text. After my mom stopped working at the newspaper, she began writing for not just hotels or venues but entire states after being taken on trips by the state. I was not very familiar with the fact that states or even countries would go to the same lengths as companies to advertise themselves. Before that, I would always point out when I saw a billboard advertising a state because I thought it was funny, but now I think it's just normal. -
Amazon Echo
Link text. I find the Amazon Echo/Alexa/Dot thing my family has quite useless. We got one this Christmas and it does not seem to want to help you with most requests. It is not as simple as these ads make it seem! It just says "I don't know that one" to every thing you say. -
Superbowl LII (52)
The Super Bowl, or American Football championship, is the single largest TV event every year. This year the game is in Minnesota which is a huge deal, considering the league doesn't want the game to be somewhere too cold. This not a specific ad but many companies are using it for marketing and the state is banking on it too. It's even crazier because the Minnesota Vikings only have to win one more game and they will be in the game, to date no team ever played a Super Bowl at their home stadium.
