The ads that live in my brain.
I often say that my road to working in advertising was a meandering one. I didn’t have dreams of becoming a copywriter as a kid because I was too busy imagining a future life as a veterinarian, or a ballerina, or as a person who got to live in the Real World house (obviously dating myself here, and I would’ve been in the Seattle house if I had my pick). When I first moved to New York after college, I had no sense of a clear career path. All I knew was that I wanted to get paid to write, but back then, advertising or anything to do with brands didn’t occur to me. Years later, when I started to write copy and enjoy it, a lightbulb with the word DUH clicked on above me.
In a way, it made total sense. In a way, it was, dare I say…destiny. Because, while I did have loving parents who raised me, television also played a huge part in my upbringing, and there are ads from my youth that will live in my brain forever (helpful things like fractions were ousted long ago).
Here are 7 of the ads that live in my brain (there are more, but let’s keep things reasonable, shall we?):
1. Bubble Tape
It’s 6 feet of bubble gum. For you. Not them. That’s an iconic tagline right there. I love the collage-meets-sticker book aesthetic of this ad and the idea it’s running with that adults/authority figures are uncool, out-of-touch cartoon characters, which was a big part of kid culture in the ’90s.
2. Whatchamacallit
Okay so this ad is apparently from the ’80s, but maybe it ran for a long time, because I remember it WELL. It’s giving comics, it’s giving a gorgeous jingle, it’s giving imagination, it’s even giving dictionary. This ad lives in my brain because it’s just fun and whimsical, like the candy bar itself.
3. Mentos
Recently a friend of mine did this hilarious thing where he reviewed several Mentos ads from this era. When this one popped up, my heart grew three sizes because this ad lives in my brain. The brand was really leaning into the idea that if you’ve got a problem that needs solving, all you have to do is pop a Mentos (or is Mento the singular?), and you’ll come up with a brilliant solution. So if you ever sit on a freshly painted bench, now you know what to do, thanks to the Freshmaker! I also think this would be a fun, specific Halloween costume.
4. McDonald’s
The McWorld Hey, it could happen tagline walked, so I’m lovin’ it could run. This campaign is as embedded in my brain as Saturday morning cartoons, which I believe is when these ads would air. I’m having a hard time finding a particular McWorld ad where one of the things a kid imagines is that the water in drinking fountains is replaced with milkshakes. I wanted that then, and tbh, I still do.
5. Volkswagon
Do I remember this being an ad for the Volkswagon Cabrio? No. Was that even a car? What I DO remember is that this ad was my introduction to the music of Nick Drake. That’s right. I’m not ashamed. Pink Moon is a perfect song, and when I hear it, I still think of this ad and that feeling of being in a car at night, with a full moon in the sky and the wind in your hair. Car commercials these days tend to all feel the same to me, but this one still hits me in the feels.
6. Visa
Perhaps the universe knew I’d be making work for financial institutions one day, because this Visa campaign set up shop in my brain with It’s everywhere you want to be. I also think this particular ad is hilarious in how brazenly it goes after the competition. Rude, but I respect it!
7. Empire Today
I love a regional ad with an iconic jingle, and this gentle mustachioed dude will forever live in my brain and heart. These days I don’t know the phone numbers of my nearest and dearest, but I’ll never forget the number to call for all my carpeting needs.