There are some commercials from the 70s and 80s that never really left. You can still hear the jingle. You can still picture the scene. You might even be able to recite the tagline right now without thinking about it.
That’s the power of old advertising. Here are the classic commercials that are still living rent-free in our heads.
1. The Crying Native American
The Keep America Beautiful campaign from the early 70s. A man in traditional Native American clothing, a single tear rolling down his cheek as he looked at a landscape of litter. It was simple, quiet, and completely unforgettable. You probably still think about it when you see trash on the side of the road.
2. “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing”
Young people on a hilltop, holding bottles of soda, singing together. The song was warm and hopeful. It was the kind of commercial that made you feel good about the world for about thirty seconds. It was everywhere in the early 70s.
3. The Tootsie Pop Owl
A boy asks an owl how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. The owl counts to three and then bites. “Three.” The world may never know. You’ve been thinking about this for fifty years.
4. “Where’s the Beef?”
An older woman staring at a tiny hamburger patty on a giant bun, asking the question that defined 1984. It became a cultural phrase that people used for years afterward. You didn’t need to see the commercial to know what it meant.
5. The Schoolhouse Rock Spots
These weren’t exactly commercials, but they ran between cartoons on Saturday mornings. “I’m Just a Bill,” “Conjunction Junction,” “Three Is a Magic Number.” You learned grammar and civics from these. You still remember them perfectly.
6. “I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up”
A medical alert device commercial from the late 80s. The phrase became a cultural touchstone almost immediately. People quoted it constantly. It was everywhere. You know exactly what we’re talking about.
7. The Energizer Bunny
A pink mechanical rabbit banging a drum, interrupting other fake commercials. It kept going and going. The tagline was simple and it worked. You still associate that bunny with batteries.
8. “Mikey Likes It”
Two brothers at the breakfast table, trying to get their picky younger brother to try a new cereal. He tries it. He likes it. The older brother is amazed. This commercial ran for years and the kid became famous.
9. The Crying Clown Crying
There was a whole era of emotional, story-driven commercials in the 70s and 80s that made you feel things you weren’t expecting to feel during a commercial break. Some of them were for phone companies. Some were for insurance. All of them worked.
10. “It Takes Two Hands to Handle a Whopper”
Fast food commercials from this era were genuinely creative. They showed the food in a way that made it look like the most important meal you’d ever have. The jingles were catchy. The visuals were bold. You remembered them.
11. The Pepsi Challenge
People on the street, blindfolded, choosing between two colas. The results always favored one side. It was a whole campaign built around a taste test. It changed how people thought about brand loyalty.
12. “I Can Bring Home the Bacon”
A woman in a power suit, singing about everything she could do — work all day, come home, cook dinner, and still be a good wife. It was a product of its time. It was also incredibly catchy. You can probably still hear the melody.
13. The Plop Plop Fizz Fizz
Antacid tablets dropped into a glass of water. The jingle was simple and rhythmic. “Plop plop, fizz fizz, oh what a relief it is.” You heard this hundreds of times. It’s still in there.
14. Tony the Tiger
He was there every Saturday morning. “They’re grrreat!” You knew the voice. You knew the character. He was as much a part of Saturday mornings as the cartoons themselves.
15. The Crying Telephone Commercial
Long-distance phone companies ran emotional commercials throughout the 70s and 80s. A parent calling a child. A child calling home. The message was always the same: reach out and touch someone. You probably got a little misty at least once.
Which commercial is still living in your head? Which jingle can you still sing from memory? Tell us in the comments.
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