Despite having an uncle in the furniture business and pricing that is inspired by me, I find product advertisements in South Africa to be a tad bland and uninviting. And in another “they don’t make them like they used to” moment, I found a set of vintage ads that I think are pretty persuasive.
Between 1957 and 1961, a Washington D.C. coffee company commissioned Jim Henson to created a series of TV commercials to pitch their product. Each commercial was 10 seconds long and featured two puppets named Wilkins and Wontkins. Wilkins pushed the importance of drinking the coffee to Wotkins through physical pain. The commercials are violent, dark, and quite funny. Check it out.
[via Super Punch]
12 replies on “Wilkins Coffee Adverts Are Persuasive, Threatening”
Brilliant – they don’t make ’em like they used to.
Funny but cannot beat, “Frisco time, Frisco time, F-R-I-S-C-O, Frisco time”.
I work in advertising, and I pray that one day I will work for clients like Wilkins Coffee. Clients with a sense of humour and faith in the fact that their target market is not a bunch of retarded potatoes.
You need clients that aren’t a bunch of retarded potatoes themselves.
You know I look at some of the ads on TV, and I dont get them at all. Not that I dont get the joke or what they’re advertising, but just the complete lack of originality and plain stupid. Like that KFC ad, where the guy is puppeteering the burger and wrap and marrying them, or some shit like that. What a bonehead ad!
Makes me wonder whether ad agencies are so unimaginative today but are really good at convincing the client to use the ad.
Then again, you have the Windhoek ads and that shit cracks me up no matter how many times i see them.
“We don’t air-punch Dave”.
Some of the Nandos ads from back in the day were quite funny but even they have been toned down a bit.
Some some of Lucy’s dealings, it seems that even though ad agency put forward some great ideas, the clients are the one who aren’t amenable to trying new things – it’s a “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality.
That Gorilla playing the drums ad for Cadbury, that’s a gem. Saw it in the cinema and thought it was an ad for Musica or something. Really surprising for a chocolate company.
….and it’s Mike. We dont air-punch Mike. some people watch the ad and don’t listen…… :-P
Edit: You are correct. It was Mike – Sauce.
The first ad in the bar contained a dude called Dave – http://vimeo.com/2268411
Mike, Dave – it’s all the same to me ;-) Apologies to any Mikes or Daves I might know.
Who cares really, its still funny. Now wasn’t there another ad where a wit ou was considering a pair of red Speedos and Louis Gossett came in and chastised him as well?
That rings a bell but I can’t seem to find it.
Incidentally, you should read some of the scathing comments on Bizcommunity about the Windhoek ads – I LOL’d.
well I added a post on PS3za, let’s see if anyone finds it.
Everyone’s a critic. and many don’t have a single funny bone in their uptight bodies.
Hey check it – a Nandos ad starring the housewife, Muffy Galore (the maid), and Peri Van Pompendorp as the plumber.
http://www.zoopy.com/video/83q/nandos-porn-tv-ad [SFW but listen with headphones]