Alka Seltzer Prison Commercial

[freddylubin]

Interesting that while these commercials won critical acclaim, they didn't actually increase sales, as people weren't getting the message.

[ChesterFanningChorno]

Back on his old radio show, Jean Shepherd wanted this to win a TV commercial award for excellence.

[gumgumley]

for lovers of trivia: the big dude in the Ad is Mike Mazurki and I think one of the other actors is Robert Strauss from Stalag 13.

[akooshla]

Lovely ad! But the one I'd most like to see again is the 1990s British commercial with two men in a lifeboat, starving. Then the camera pans around the empty sea. Then back, and there's only one guy, and the caption reads: "Alka Seltzer. When you've eaten something you shouldn't have." So funny!

[airdaleva42]

This is one the best comercial ever aired. I remember it to this day. I was in Navy bootcamp in 1976 and during afternoon chow (the food was'nt realy that bad I thought) some yelled out 'I aint gonn eat this slop" and the banging begun. Our companycomander later joked he thought it was a mutiny and he was going to make a run for the main gate. I regonize George Raft But I cant recall the name of the real rough look fellow.. Well done sir.

[airdaleva42]

This is one the best comercial ever aired. I remember it to this day. I was in Navy bootcamp in 1976 and during afternoon chow (the food was'nt realy that bat I thought) some yelled out 'I aint gonn eat this slop" and the banging begun. Our companycomander later joked he thought it was a mutiny and he was going to make a run for the main gate. I regonize George Raft But I cant recall the name of the real rough look fellow.. Well done sir.

[Smellmenoweww]

Vagina Vagina Vagina Vagina Vagina Vagina...Oh wait what were we talking about again? Oh ya our stomache aches Alka seltzer alka seltzer!

[motownjo1960]

This ad revolutionised the way products were advertised. I worked for Lee Lacy who was the producer/genius who thought of this concept. Look at the year - 1968 - think of everything that had gone before - direct advertising 'Buy this product' & (generally) a woman holding a tube or packet of whatever the advertisers wanted you to buy....Lee went on to work on some of the classic Coke ads - the football player who's just lost and the little boy says 'I still love you' & gives him a Coke <3

[HunterMann]

A piece of advice to all of you: If you ever end up in prison, order the tea, the coffee is terrible!

[itsaguinness]

George Raft you fell far

[castillianwagon500]

Best commerical ever made !

[tuttt99]

I'll betcha George Raft did some time in the hole for that one...

[TurtleShroom]

I can't beleive I ate the whole thing.

[castillianwagon500]

Greatest commerical of all time. Made in 1968.

[castillianwagon500]

I am 54 and showed this commercial to my 14 year old nephew. He did not know what Alka Salizer was ! It's not advertised anymore on TV TV and in the 60s & 70s it was heavily advertised. My mother also told me that my Grandfather KNEW George Raft ! They were both into dancing allot when very young and that's how they became Friends. My Grandmother also frequented the Cotton Club in Harlem !

[scotpens]

It's a funny commercial, but I don't know why anyone would call it "strange" unless they've never seen prison movies from the 1930s and 40s. The ad is a spoof of the typical prison mess hall scene, where an inmate, disgusted with the bad food they were being served, would say, "We're not going to eat this slop!" A riot would then ensue. These poor dudes aren't about to start a prison uprising -- they just want some Alka-Seltzer!

[castillianwagon500]

The food still sucks in jails & prisons ! And I DO NOT have a criminal record. I understand that iF you say your Islamic you get better food.

[scotpens]

I wonder, if I told them that I was an observant Jew who keeps kosher, would I get better food in prison? Jews and Muslims observe the same dietary laws, you know.

Not that I'm planning on doing anything illegal.

[castillianwagon500]

Why the negative rating on my post ? Do you think the food in prison tastes good ?

[1216saab]

@castillianwagon500 The food isnt bad I work at a prison. They eat better than we do.

[1216saab]

@castillianwagon500 They get better food for Ramadan!

[castillianwagon500]

I remember this from 1968. I was 14 then and in my school cafeteria we emulated this commercial at lunch with over 200 students and it drove the teachers nuts ! Thanks so much for putting this up and it's not strange. As a matter of fact they should put this on again. Where did you get this ? It's 40 years old ! Way before VCRs.

[ZootInNH]

yup, we acted out this ad in my 7th grade school caf too. Our science teacher (who was about 6'5" and heavyset, someone you CLEARLY didn't mess with) walked over to the table, glared at us, and said "You gentlemen want to play games?"...that ended that...

[castillianwagon500]

My grandfather was a friend of Gorge Raft's ! He Knew him from a dancing club in Manhattan. Raft said " I spent 90 % of all my money on woman and booze, the rest I wasted ! " LOL !!!!!!

[lightowler1]

George Best the soccer player said the very same thing

[saudade2100]

You too, huh? So did we. Eighth grade. Cafeteria and gym class. You could hear it all over the school. The gym teacher ran after us with a baseball bat. Ah.....good times.

[castillianwagon500]

The commerical was a powerful enough to inspire rebellion.

[1216saab]

@castillianwagon500 Maybe the reason Rockefeller had it removed from the air.

[jsutiger07]

alka seltzer! alka seltzer! alka seltzer! alka seltzer! this shit's funny LOL

[RomanDonna]

I remember this. That's famous old-time gangster actor George Raft who starts up the fuss. This '70s ad is a classic!

[castillianwagon500]

Your right it's really George Raft !