1960s Alka Seltzer Ad With Gene Wilder

[hamletmiss]

Hmmmm. I've never heard this one before. Always loved Gene Wilder.

[epsteinsmutha1]

Open top, hear it plop, 'til it rea-ches to-tal car-bo-na-tion, the next day to fight i-nebriationnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!

[BenitaStuart]

I remember this commercial. I loved it then, and it's still cute today. Today they prescribe Effexor :-)

[Fartingbellybutton]

A Alka Seltzer commercial appeared in Silver Streak with Gene Wilder.

[TheJomogogo]

I remember this commercial, it was test marketed in the Los Angeles area with a special strobing effect that made it appear IN COLOR on black & white TV sets. Nobody I can find remembers this, everybody says I'm crazy and it's impossible, but I know it happened. Anyone out there remember it?

[OldMrMemories]

@TheJomogogo I grew up in Los Angeles and as a kid in the 60's I remember that technique very well. Sprite Soda had an ad that did the same thing and my brothers and I were astounded that our Black and White set would show a few seconds of color. lol What sweet days those were. I'd go back to that time in a heartbeat if I could.

[TheJomogogo]

@OldMrMemories

Thanks for the reply, I've googled and searched with no luck, I can't find any reference to those commercials, you are the first person I've come across that remembers them.

[Garramedia]

I believe that the design for this commercial was by Jules Feiffer

[WhiteCamry]

Strangely soothing.

The commercial, I mean.

[that1weirdkid27]

@WhiteCamry That's because it's Gene Wilder's voice.

[SuperSimmerGal]

@that1weirdkid27 Beautiful sentiment! He DOES have quite the soothing voice!

[ksol1460]

What I can't understand is why this commercial is allowed on Youtube while the "Man vs. Stomach" one (also Gene Wilder) is yanked every time somebody puts it up.

They ought to revive these old commercials and show them on today's television. Alka-seltzer's ad agency knows this better than anybody, a few years ago they remade "I Can't Believe I Ate The Whole Thing"! I'm not crazy about remakes, but this one was pretty good!

[AnyThingButWindows]

"You know, we wouldn't have invented a disease unless we had something to take for it..."

Scary.

[darthchaosofrspw1]

Agreed. I still believe that Rockefeller interests - especially CSPI and Monsanto - created the obesity epidemic as a pretext to call for socialized healthcare which would be used to ban you from eating anything the government declares unhealthy. The Rockefeller interests - including CSPI and Consumer Freedom - bave basically declared all natural foods to be unhealthy. CSPI calls Stevia unhealthy, while Consumer Freedom says organics are unhealthy. I think socialized healthcare will ban organics

[Bette704]

No one is advocating socialized medicine. All they're talking about is an *option* for people who can't afford anything at all. Stop being such a shill for the insurance companies. All they care about is your money.

[KnockOutMurphyTV]

@AnyThingButWindows i was hoping more ppl paid attention to this satanic guy

[ElJefer]

I can see how people might like it the first time but it would become tedious to watch again

[Toolmusik]

Lol the first 30 seconds had me thinking it was a 60's ad for antidepressants

[ICit4U07]

I don't think they even HAD much in the way of anti-depressants back then -- it was the age of the "talking cure" and the only other "treatment" available was "electroshock therapy." However, Alka-Seltzer's ad was brilliant in that it made "the blahs" seem not so serious -- and probably paved the way for the prescribed drugs we have today. Furthermore,

I don't think there's much advertising for anti-d's. even now -- on tv or anywhere else.

[Bette704]

Wow, you must be very young to think this. Ever hear of Valium? Uppers? Downers? Housewives were addicted to prescription meds in droves back then. Doctors prescribed them like candy. Check the 1960's Rolling Stones song "Mother's Little Helper" -- that's what it was about.

[lonelygnome1]

he has a great voice.

[ALLINKNOTS]

Ah, I've been in love with Gene Wilder since I saw him as Willy Wonka when I was 6 years old, I'm now 25 and I still love him, I have watched every single movie he's ever made. Gene Wilder, YOU ROCK!

[puppies21616]

Gene Wilder is my hero after Sir Paul McCartney

[alkh3myst]

"This is Inspector Smithers of the FDA. This footage has been seized, for violations of Federal law..."LOL! We were so innocent then.

[ShovelDuct]

I know, I meant in this video.

[billyk5775]

Does any one have the alka seltzer commercial where you see the guy arguing with his stomach?

[robotrix]

Oh, I hope so! I remember seeing these as a kid.

[alinytch]

Happy Birthday to dear Gene Wilder !

[DFA1979QQQ]

blahs dummy.

[xoxLettermanxox]

o my gosh! I would have a heart attac each time this comercial would come on... I also love the voice...Maybe Alka Seltzer can cure the bloz for me because I will never have that heart attac for it comeing on because it's not the 60s :(

[CaptainDesiderio]

The guy's head is still off!

[ShovelDuct]

He had such a tragic voice.

[fromthesidelines]

I believe Jules Feiffer designed and had a hand in animating this ad, 'potato'- R.O. "Bob" Blechman designed the "arguing stomach" spot after this one.....

[yaachb]

that was old

[songtruth]

I love Gene Wilder. Always have.

[rebzugo]

His voice is perfect... so sexy.

[jhett777]

Yea, my husband sort of has that voice. Good thing too, it get's him out of trouble after he's been a jerk. (TMI?) Love GW, always will!

[wohproductions]

5 star... simple but clever..

[MadameLil]

Cute & still pretty cool!!

[MakeViolntRevolution]

gotta love that voice. timeless.

[TeaParasite]

hee hee hee, i like it...

[Ethergirl]

That is so cute! I wonder how they were getting people to think about having the "blahs" in this general way. I thought Alka Seltzer was specifically for an upset stomach.

[cispuskid]

lol

[fromthesidelines]

I believe Jules Feiffer did have something to do with creating this ad, as R.O. Blechman did with the famous "man aruging with his stomach" spot.

[marniedrew]

Ah... the blas....

[thunderstruck665]

Whatever happened to the one where the man is at the shrink and having an arguement with his stomach?

[gjsjrr]

I was wondering the same thing. "I like pepperoni pizzas".

[peace2baby]

Looks like the man and the stomach one was zapped by the youtube police. Removed for 'copy write' infringement. A shame because that was one of the funniest.

[ksol1460]

Just like today, companies selling drugs or medicines invent new diseases! Ahh, the blahs. Go Gene Go!

[potatoscone]

Looks like Jules Feiffer had something to do with the animation.

[thegreymouser]

sure it sounds likegene! wonderful!

[sleestack]

"We wouldn't have invented a disease if we unless we had something to take for it!!" How prophetic is that?!

[babymoondancer]

I know!! My parents don't believe in Restless Legs syndrome.

[chromium77]

mazeltov~!

[stilicho]

"The blahs" ... file that one with the grave disease "halitosis"

[BChristian592]

Speaking of alka seltzer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v­=k-rcyHpELXY

[bschuler1]

It's... interesting.

[Larynxa]

Gene did a voice in a later animated Alka-Seltzer commercial. He played a man's stomach, having an argument with him.

[jangelfalls]

that jus says it all bout gene wilder lol

[ravenmosher]

Wow it didn't even sound like him. I never would have known Gene Wilder did the voice over. Willy Wonka is everywhere!!! Dun dun DUUUUUUUN!

[JABACAB]

Brilliant.

[gldmj55]

It's not a Guinness commercial.

[KaoriSoundNinja]

really funny XD

[wenraw]

What a cute little cultural artifact.