Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Retro Commercial: Faygo Pop

As a kid, I have fond memories of roller skating, playing tag, and Frisbee. To quench my thirst, the beverage of choice was often Michigan-based Faygo Pop. It sometimes felt as if I drank enough of the liquid confection to fill Lake Superior. If a cop had ever given me a Breathalizer, my blood Faygo content probably would have read .25%.

Since we are fast approaching the 4th of July weekend, I thought that this classic 1970s commercial for Faygo Pop would be retro perfection. Featuring Harold Peary (The Great Gildersleeve) leading a boatload of passengers in a nostalgic sing-a-long, this commercial was a staple of Michigan television during the decade of bell bottoms, Benji, and Barry White. Even if you've never seen this commercial, it's bound to conjure up childhood memories and take you back to a time when your biggest worry was having to explain to your mother how you ripped a hole in your brand new pair of Toughskins. For more information on Faygo, please click here.

10 comments:

pjazzypar said...

Hey Malcolm,

You know what pop was better tasting than Faygo to me? M & S. They had some of the best flavors to, Creme Soda, Lime, Pineapple and of course their Strawberry Cherry and Grape. What memories.

Dr Zibbs said...

Holy crap - is that the guy that goes, "Yuuuuueeeeeeessss?"

BeckEye said...

Oh, Faygo. I remember that from my days working at Phar-Mor. (My first job in high school!) I think that was a regional chain, so I don't know how many folks will rememeber it.

Malcolm said...

Pjazzy: I haven't thought of M&S in years. I remember it, but don't recall drinking it myself.

Dr. Zibbs: It most certainly is him. I don't know if you remember another of his famous Gildersleeve catchphrases: "Oh, Leeeeroy!". I never get tired of hearing The Great Gildersleeve bellow that one.

BeckEye: Phar-Mor is a name I haven't thought of in awhile. I found its Wikipedia page and was reading about the legal problems that dogged the company (alleged embezzlement, jury tampering, etc.).

Although Faygo isn't in every state, it is available in more locations than I thought. When writing this post, I was surprised to learn that it's available in many of the western states (CA, AZ, NV, WA, and UT to name some).

musikal maniac said...

I never had that particular drink. The commercial is very nostalgic and catchy.

Pop Art Diva Enterprises said...

I grew up in Kansas - we didn't have Faygo but my next door neighbor worked for the Dr. Pepper bottling plant so that's how I became a "Pepper"!

We had Crush in Kansas - I loved the grape though I can't deal with it now, but I still sometimes like to get a six-pack of the strawberry or the orange!

I'm in Arizona but I've never seen Faygo on any of the grocery store shelves in Phoenix or up here in Sedona.

Bridget Jones said...

Happy 4th of July!!!

Malcolm said...

Musikal Maniac: Until I found the commercial on You Tube a few months ago, I hadn't seen it in years. However, it's so ingrained in my memory that it came back to me immediately. By the way, Faygo is delicious!!

Pop Art Diva: Crush was another one of my faves too. If you go Faygo.com, I believe you can determine which locations in a state sell it.

Bridget: Happy belated 4th to you as well!

Anonymous said...

Hello Dr Zibbs and Malcolm -- No, the guy who says 'Yuuueeesssss?' was Frank Nelson, from the Jack Benny Show and lots of others. Hal Peary had a nervous giggle, and had a few catch-phrases but none are remembered today.

Malcolm said...

Anon: Thanks for stopping by and for the correction. Because I had been watching the "Great Gildersleeve" movies quite a bit at the time of this post, I had forgotten about Frank Nelson. Although Hal Peary did combine a drawn out "Yes" with a giggle in the "Great Gildersleeve" movies, Mr. Zibbs was likely referring to Frank Nelson.

You know your stuff. If you have time, you should consider checking out the weekly pop culture trivia quizzes that I post here.

 
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