Forgotten Flotsam-The Soap and Smoking Edition

Another exhibit, this time we look at commericals and PSAs of a past life....I think the 1970s and 1980s called and wanted their advertising back. I decided to keep it here for everyone to remember and enjoy for nostalgia purposes.

In February 2023, Canadian TV Reporter and Broadcast Personality Helen Hutchinson passed away. She was a pioneer for women in Canadian Broadcasting. I think comparable to Barbara Walters in the US. She did everything she could, host a national TV morning show, investigate reporter, sports commentator, it seems she could do it all. More about that HERE to get an idea of the extent of her career.

What seemed to be lost to time though, is the one commerical that I know of that she lent her personality to. ABC Laundry Detergent is a brand of detergent in Canada that has been around for decades, but Helen did the first campaign for it "Can't See a Difference" in the late 1970s. I was surprised not to find the TV ad online for this really, as it was really played to death in the era and even subsequent years later as the campaign did so well. It was recycled into the late 1980s, but without Helen. One can assume at that point in her career she didn't want to hawk laundry soap, but in any event, it was so set on my brain over the years that I was gleeful when I found a original tape of the radio ad (which took the audio from the TV ad and put it on the air) destined for the tape eraser. Obviously, it made it past getting wiped and up here to present to you as a piece of canadian flotsam

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Suddenly It's the 1970s, chain smoking the cancer sticks of tobacco in a high stress job is commonplace and a concern even then. We've come a long way since then, but endorsements from big time TV celeb Ed Asner who admits in this spot he had those days to come on and try to lay off the smoking for a day certainly were a reality then and who knows, maybe some people quit because of this campaign. We will never know, but let's look back 45 years to a simpler, more second hand smoking time with this exhibit.

1-Smoking Is Bad
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2-Don't Panic

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Finally, it's the 1980s and one hot Canadian artist is Corey Hart who impacted the 80s teen culture with his hit "Sunglasses At Night" and many more in Canada and beyond throughout the 80s. Last I heard he was touring still off and on. He was a great influence to try to get kids from even starting smoking as we hear this 15 second PSA from the mid/late 80s.




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Until Next Time