…is usually just knowing it is Friday.
One of the things I love about a theme-free week is getting to choose two random commercials that have connection or purpose toward each other, only that they have being a product placement or provide a service. Or perhaps they do one of each…or neither.
Ooooh!
Today’s commercial shares a commonality with yesterday’s in that they’re both from the 1980s, and they’re advertising a product. That’s where it ends. Yesterday’s commercial extolled the winning benefit of subscribing to a popular publication that focuses exclusively on our television-watching happiness, while today’s…feeds us.
Ok, it actually provides flavor to something that feeds us.
The year is 1985, and the product…is a condiment!
Luxury, as they say, can be affordable. Luxury can also take us to the grassy meadows of somewhere far from everything, with transportation provided by multiple fancy cars, all white, and with a team of chefs and servers.
There is a product that the “hired kitchen staff” prefers over the competition to enhance the flavor of food.
What is that product?
Click play, and find out!
Why yes…Grey Poupon!
People have been (rather infamously at this point) asking for Grey Poupon on their food since 1866. Introduced in Dijon, France, Grey Poupon is a dijon mustard whose brand is currently owned by Kraft Heinz. The “Grey” of Grey Poupon is Maurice Grey, whose award-winning Dijon mustard machine dramatically increased the speed of mustard production. However, Grey needed financing, called upon Auguste Poupon, another Dijon mustard manufacturer. Their partnership lead to the name Grey Poupon, and they Dijon mustard…it’s still around today.
The Heublein Company, who had purchased the American rights for Grey Poupon in 1946, created a commercial in the 1980s that became a cultural icon, thus boosting visibility of the company, as well as the all-important name recognition, by asking a simple question…well, a question asked between two people…
What is a little Grey Poupon between random stops in traffic?
Honestly, I’ve always wondered about this. Who just randomly stops in traffic – or, in the case of today’s commercial…
…Drive out to a random grassy country meadow in the middle of nowhere (honestly, who just goes there to eat?) just to score some fancy mustard?
Well, one of life’s finer pleasures. I’m sure that’s all the justification one needs.
Though I’m pretty sure I’d seen these famous staples of advertising pop culture before, it was Wayne’s World that shoved it into the forefront of my cluttered-with-nonsense brain 27 years ago.
You FOREVER fought the urge to do the same at a traffic stop…didn’t you?
(I did not, but I’ve always found the concept funny!)
Hence, pop culture icon goes on and on, and so does today’s product. It is currently owned by Kraft (and Heinz) since 1999.
So when someone tries to get you to roll down the window to ask for mustard…oh, it’s 2019. If you’re being asked to roll down your window…be afraid.
And then just smile and hand off your jar of Grey Poupon that you kept in the glove compartment for moments just like this!
And when you offer it up, wish the recipient a fantastic Flashback Friday, and do have a great weekend!