During the 1950s, to the early 1960s, TV characters would do commercials for the TV show's sponsor. The actor would be in character and they would do the TV advertisement while on the set of the TV program. It was a very effective way to tie the show in with the sponsor's product. 50 years later, it is very entertaining to watch this small part of our TV heritage.

The popular CBS comedy show, Petticoat Junction (every time I say that title, the theme song jumps into my head) had Ivory liquid as a sponsor. Billie Jo Bradley runs into the kitchen and tells her mother (Kate Bradley played by Bea Benaderet) and her Uncle Joe (played by Edgar Buchanan) that she is getting married in six months - a fortune teller told her so. The talk then turns to the deplorable (my description) condition of her hands, and how dificult it would be to find a husband when the young and pretty woman has "ugly" hands. Ivory liquid would prevent the 24 year old beauty from getting old lady hands. It is a miracle in a plastic bottle.

The 1960s TV commercial was doing the same thing that snake oil salesman had been doing prior to the arrival of television. Elaborate and unsubstantiated claims were the name of the game. Was anybody that dumb? 

It has to be true, it is a well known fact that $8.00 an hour restaurant dishwashers have the loveliest hands. One half of a step below restaurant dishwashers would be the $8.00 per hour housekeeping staff, at Quality Inns and Holiday Inns everywhere. Sticking there hands into hot sudsy water, used to clean thousands of sheets and pillow cases, have created the most beautiful hands that this "reporter" has ever seen.

If you want your entire skin to be as soft and lovely as the hands of the neighborhood coffee shop dishwasher, my recommendation would be, ask the young man who washes your coffee cup & plate if you could take a bath in the used dish water. I'm sure he and his co-workers would have no objection, assuming you are young and pretty.  



Another commercial was done for Ivory bath soap. 99.9% pure Ivory soap (what is in that 1/10 of a percent that they will not tell us about) is being used to clean up a baby that Uncle Joe had been babysitting. Joe had started a babysitting service - 50 cents per hour, and he needed to clean the "little monster" before the mother comes back. Kate takes the baby and cleans the child with the partially un-pure Ivory soap bar.

Even with my snide comments (said only to entertain), I truly love these old TV commercials. Those were simpler times and I miss them. It is too bad that sponsors aren't willing to hire the TV actors to shill for their products while still in character. I think it would work great for the company that would be willing to pay big bucks for it. There are so many ads out there that are the same. Doing something different is the key to success. Unfortunately, it works best with sitcoms and sitcoms are an endangered species.

I'd like to see the cops from CSI doing a Ivory liquid commercial. You know, cleaning up the blood stains from a grizzly decapitation crime scene. 

Sales would SKYROCKET - NOT!

Here is the commercial that I was speaking about. Please enjoy this fine piece of Americana.









Tweet