Tag: advertising

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Saturday Night Live Did A Special In New Orleans, And It Got Complicated

Anything can happen on live TV - sometimes anything can NOT happen too.

A Painting Chimpanzee Posed As A Modern Artist Named Pierre Brassau

The talk of the art world was an exciting avant garde painter named Pierre Brassau, except that Pierre Brassau was a big old hoax.

Mr. Delicious, The Fast Food Mascot Who Sold Roast Beef With A Side Of Middle-Aged Angst

Fast food chain Rax launched an ad campaign featuring the fast food world’s first smart-alecky, ironic and probably very depressed mascot.

A Burma-Shave Ad Offered A Trip To “Mars,” And A Guy Tried To Take That Trip

A company famous for its advertising jokingly offered its customers a chance to go to the Red Planet, and a very serious customer tried to get them to follow through.

The Original Version Of The Michelin Man Was Kind Of Terrifying

For National Tire Safety Week, the story of a character made of tires, one of the most famous mascots in advertising history… and one who was originally kind of a hot mess. 

Don Calhoun, The Fan Who Hit The Chicago Bulls’ “Million Dollar Shot”

Lots of teams have fans try really difficult challenges to win big prizes. Nearly all of them come up short, but today in 1993, a guy in Chicago stepped onto the Bulls' home court for a million dollar shot… and made it.

When Marketing Cars To Women, Creepy Anonymous Letters Aren’t Your Best Bet

In 1994, an ad campaign for a car company somehow misjudged its ad campaign so badly that the whole effort landed the company in court.

Long Before Photoshop, Photographers Knew How To “Photoshop” Photos

For National Photography Day, a look at the many ways people in the pre-computer days could make photos look like something they weren't, for fun or for not so honorable reasons.

Taco Bell Once Trolled America By Claiming It Had Bought The Liberty Bell

More than two centuries after the first Independence Day, a fast food giant put out fake ads claiming that it had acquired the Liberty Bell to help pay off the national debt.

The Pillsbury Doughboy Has A Name And A Family

Ahead of World Baking Day, we look at the history of a baking and TV legend, the Pillsbury Doughboy. But did you know about his full name and his doughy relatives?

The Outtakes From Orson Welles’ Wine Commercial Might Be His Most Legendary Work

Today was the birthday in 1915 of Orson Welles, a one of a kind creative force. And yet somehow one of his most viewed works is also a set of apparently drunken outtakes from a wine commercial in the 80s!

Cap’n Crunch Once Got Sued Because There Weren’t Actual Berries In Crunch Berries Cereal

For National Cereal Day, the stories of people who have taken cereal makers to court over some pretty eye-opening claims.