…and we’re watching yet another actor’s life in hocking products!
Oh boy!
Today’s article actually came completely out of the inspiration of a Retroist article I wrote about five years ago, when I managed to find a whole group of commercials featuring an everyman paying his dues in promoting products other everymen use, in order to possibly leap home.
No, not really, but in order to get to this very plum part, the actor had to pay his dues promoting products other everymen (and everywomen) use.
Back in the early 1980s, Scott Bakula was an actor who had some Broadway under his belt, but landing a television show wasn’t really on the radar at this point. While he would land a few shows by the mid-1980s, none of them would bring him to the star power that a certain science fiction show would in the late 1980s. But until that day (and the ones that came before it) happened, Scott Bakula was “leaping around” in thirty second intervals, promoting goods that we all know, love, and use.
And lucky me, I found six – SIX! – commercials featuring our favorite hopeful wanderer, several years before his star-making role became a reality. It’s a strange collection of soft drinks, casual dining, automobiles, coffee, pain relief, and soap.
Yes, soap.
(Did that sound like Orson Welles…just a little?)
I also distinctly recall a commercial for English Muffins, but I can’t seem to find it. Not even a screenshot.
Oh well, what I’ve found is gold.
Anyway, in this collection of commercials, we’ve got ads from 1983 and 1985, featuring our everyman in a commercial where Canada Dry livens up not-so-lively dance, a restaurant where the food and drinks are magic (snap!), Chevrolets are a cause for dancing (and Kool and the Gang music), Folgers Decaf really can wake one up in the morning, pain relief can come from aspirin-free Excedrin, and growing old together gracefully is not good enough when you’re sweaty and need something to “give you strength” (the original “oh boy!”)…like soap!
Let’s just say there’s a few reasons why this guy got where he did – he paid his dues doing embarrassing commercials!
And some of them required some sweet dance moves that are not The Decaf Folgers Dance.
Wait till you those dance moves.
The Canada Dry Dancers! Aren’t they amazing!
I actually first saw this Canada Dry ad on The Rosie O’Donnell Show, when she was interviewing Scott Bakula in early 2002. She had this way of digging up the good stuff in the days before YouTube allowed us to put “the good stuff” on the interwebs. I used to have the interview on a videocassette, but I don’t believe I have the video anymore. Trust me, if I did, I’d be all over putting it up.
But at least this glorious dance has made it to the interwebs.
This dance puts me over the edge. Such moves!
You know what else puts me over the edge?
You’re welcome.
Have a fantastic Flashback Friday, and a great weekend!