10 Great Snack Food Commercials
The authors of a study in the Journal of Law and Economics finally found that TV snack ads make kids want to eat more snacks than they should, thereby proving once again the effectiveness of late capitalism. Though a complete ban of candy commercials is unlikely, hopes are that fewer ads targeting children would significantly reduce child and teen obesity (ahem, what about adult obesity?). So, Listicles takes a look at some of the best snack commercials before this delicious genre disappears.
Skittles: “Blend the Rainbow”
More snack oddities from Skittles and other fatty food procurers after the jump.
Skittles: “Touch the Rainbow”
Skittles: “Baby Bird Man”
Unparalleled for their commercials’ psychedelic surrealism (and self-conscious orientalism), Skittles have enticed and inflated generations of candy consumers with their colorful vignettes. Their wacky ads will be sorely missed.
Mars: “Earth Bar”
Mars: “Extra Push”
Mars: “More Energy. More Balls”
Always prepared to destroy things (vehicles, animals, etc.) and play on their brand-name recognition, Mars used humor to win over chocolate-lovers for decades.
7UP: “7UP Hoop”
Humor has also been working magic for 7UP since they first tapped Orlando Jones to star in a series of parody ads pitching disastrous commercial ideas then playing out their results. This one not only sells kids calorie-laden soda, but exaggerates the health risks of sports and physical activity, thereby perpetuating TV-watching-enduced muscular dystrophy.
Lays: “Scouts”
This mid-90s classic starring pre-superstardom Elijah Wood and post-stardom Jack Palance is not only hilarious (says Jack: “Kid, I once went an entire week without breathing!”), but aims to capitalize on young viewers’ distrust of authority figures and love of camping.
Lays: “Miss Piggy”
Continuing Listicles’ mini-streak of muppet-related posts, this old Lays ad with Miss Piggy is clearly going after kids: not only does it star a talking puppet, but its valuing of snack foods over romance speaks to a distinctly pre-adolescent state of mind.
Rally’s: “Rap Cat”
And finally, this recent ad for drive-thru fast food joint Rally’s reintroduced the marketing power of puppets to a younger TV audience with its street smart post-millennial muppet Rap Cat (don’t forget to check out his music video). Insidious marketing tactics aside, these examples and many more prove the wildly energetic lineage of a TV commercial genre that advocated complacent lethargy.
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