CHICAGO — This week marks the 75th anniversary of the first paid television advertisement.
On July 1, 1941, a 10-second ad during a New York baseball game hawked watches for $4. Viewers watching the Brooklyn Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies game heard — and saw — that "America Runs on Bulova time."
The ad reportedly cost the watch company nine bucks.
Since then the parade of ads hasn't stopped.
Below is the first TV spot followed by a roundup of some Chicago television commercials, some legendary, some awful.
How many do you remember?
This is the stuff of talking car nightmares
Why is Scottie Pippen dunking a sub sandwich? SB Nation says of this spot: "The entire thing is brilliant and needs to be preserved forever so future generations can appreciate its wonder."
Big hair, big egg, big winner. So bad it was featured on David Letterman and the BBC.
This one never gets old. The poor guy whose door falls off, Bob Zajdel, was actually a tow truck driver for the company. He says he wasn't paid much but did get lots of free drinks in bars.
Empire Man doing some good work here. Did you know he was also one of the voices in the jingle?
Incredible suits. So famous, the two car dealers would later do commercials for Pizza Hut "where you always get great pepperoni."
"I don't care what they say about sale prices."
Amazed this commercial works.
Best dancing pig/cow song ever. Most of the lyrics were written by the meat company's CEO and his secretary.
Oh ... My ... God.
Might be the best 3 minutes, 39 seconds of your day here.
Look at that amazing garage get built in 3 seconds.
Totally normal family conversation.
Da Bears! (still their last title by the way).
Don Baylor. That is all.
Who's hungry?
Is that tomato real?
Zoo animals in cartoon form.
This gets weird really fast.
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