Best Commercial Ever; Highland Appliance

[Offthbadan]

Wow I remember this so well. Over $1,600 for a tv back then. That's when people use to throw money around like jobs would last forever.

[nakotohs97]

Wow a wireless remote :0

[FarmallDoctor]

I've been quoting this commercial since seeing it the first time so many years ago! LOL!!

[va3css]

@FarmallDoctor You and me both. I'm still quoting it today!

[bigoshee]

I remember this commercial. I actually came here to look for the Indiana Jones one. That's one of my alltime favorites.

[Jack223344]

VHS video recorder, $188 dollars.

Wow fuck, I just spent 170 on a 3ds. Jesus.

[BattlefieldBrock200]

Thumbs up if your watching this in 2011!

[IllinoisNinth]

My dad still quotes this commercial

[mooman219]

Color TV, NO WAY. HACKS. With a wireless remote? *Mooman219 dies*

[Scientisticsoviet]

Wonderful!

[acehighpat]

I wish someone would put up the "Rex" Highland ad.

[hawkzeyes]

that is rofl funny still after all this time. wow. lol

[Geradness]

Hey, I think those guys are actually Russian!

[i8myyoung42]

I bought all my stuff from the Portage Highland store. Never made enough when I was young to afford a ear blistering 50 watts of power though. How the hell did you get this video

[trdsf]

Wow, does that take me back... Highland had some great ads. :)

[skaterbootybooty]

What a blast from the past! I've been saying the "50 watts per channel" thing for years and couldn't remember where I heard it! I must have been 10 when this commercial aired. Classic. Thanks for posting!

[wolverine94]

Thanks for posting!

This was one of my favorite commercials of all time. We used to say "50 watts per channel, babycakes" in a Russian accent at school.

Do you happen to have/know of a series of commercials on ESPN in the late 1980's by a local (metro Detroit) used (? maybe new) car dealership? One of them was a guy in a thick Communist accent saying "Sign ze papers, Stan; it's a gut deal".

Another one had the customer paying all kind of extra charges, LJNB (Little Jenny Needs Braces).

[SobriquetF1]

OMG! What a blast from the past. Where did you find this? To this day, I can't help myself but say "50 Watts per channel, Baby Cakes" whenever someone is talking about wattage... and some even get it when I say "Hah! You slay me... brother!"

[S3v3nActionNewz]

The salesmen's glasses are pure 80's. I think that vcr was one of the first cheap Korean brands that came here. Funai or Goldstar maybe?

[jvlivs2]

Wow. I remember that commercial. The end of it had me in stitches (Pepe Le Pew ring any bells?).

[caradepau06]

Midnight Madness Sale!!!!

[bojstafford]

Good times, good times.

[jvlivs2]

@bojstafford So friggin' true!

[luvdady]

50 watts of power lol...

[Curttehmurt]

those silly Ruskies

[GiddyupHorsie360]

You sure this is the early 80's? That's cheap for a VCR in the early 80's. Seems more like 88ish.

[daigobrad]

@GiddyupHorsie360 In the beginning of the commercial you can faintly see "Copyright 1987 Highland Superstores", so you're close!

[DextervonSchumann]

ummmmm

[TJPatzo]

lmao, I remember this Awesome!

[williamraymusic]

Haha...VCR....

[gingerbread1231]

Thank you sooooo much for this posting! Truly one of the funniest I remember from way back then.

[fantom58]

I think I saw that VCR in a Goodwill shop recently!

[fractaljack]

Yeesh, who was the ad agency for this one? It made me laugh out loud even decades later. Classic kitsch!

[PTCello]

I owned an AMC Spirit AMX too...with a 4speed.

I remember this commercial, too... it was funny then and funny now... hilarious.

[5stringofFernandoSor]

OMG, I remember watching this commercial as a little kid, growing up in Detroit. I wish I remember what the exact year is, but Highland Appliance is long gone nowadays. It's funny to think that I was just shopping car stereos and "50W per channel, babycakes" danced into my head...I went to youtube...and BAM, voila. Rock On, Motor City.

[gregorymuncey]

LOL! 50 watts pr channel, baby cakes! Thanks for the memory!

[GalvaWalken8]

Man, I remember that babycakes bit.

Anyone got the Highland Appliance ads with Q (from the James Bond series)?

[mdumas43073]

@GalvaWalken8 Who, John Cleese? Do you mean the old Magnavox ads?

[GalvaWalken8]

@mdumas43073 Nope, Highland Appliance with Desmond Llewelyn who played Q in most of the Bond flicks.

[randypcole]

AWESOME post....Boy, does that bring back memories

[FiveInchTaint]

Another old Detroit classic commercial for Little Caesars. Origami!

/watch?v=Fhf8-GItjOY

[FiveInchTaint]

I've quoted this commercial practically my entire life. I can't believe you found it to post. Totally made my day. Highland used to have the funniest commercials. Fifty wants per channel, babycakes.. lmao. The beauty contest one was funny as hell too.

[multaflor]

i miss the days when they had to mention that the tv was in color

[mj1956]

I loved this one and the one about the microwave cooking school. The husband tells his wife "the popcorn is sure tender tonight." After the school, they ask her what's for dinner and she names off several gormet dishes and the little boy asks, "What ever happened to hamburgers al ketchup?"

[brooks718]

were there ever VCRs with 'wired' remotes?

[unsub1]

@brooks718 Yes.

[secondchapter]

"You slay me brother!" LMAO - NEVER gets old!

[taxtheax]

If you look in the parescope you will see a quick shot of the store front with a red car in it. That was my car. It is a 1980 AMC Spirit AMX. This commerical was shot at the Dearborn Michigan store (#71) where I worked as the Warehouse manager.

[tarmer]

That is hilarious, so many years later and I still love this commercial.

[MuffiiinMan]

WOW! WIRELESS REMOTE!!!

[shock1974]

50 watts per channel, babycakes!

[TheRealmsOfGold]

@shock1974 I always want to quote this line, and A) never have a truly good opportunity and B) know that nobody will get it anyway. Rats.

[40intrepid]

Tarmer,

Do you have the commercial with the Crimpels?

The couple that rides with bikers and parachutes through the Highland store roof to get to the sale?

i'd like to see that one again.

[dimp10]

OMG I remember this commercial! "You slay me," SLAP "Brother!" That was great!

[lz4broc]

Awesome Sauce... I TOO Want a Video Cassette Recorder with Wireless Remote!!!!! .... oh wait... I already got one... last Xmas from Kmart it was $44 on sale. ROFL

[w8erv]

You, too? I been usin that line for....OMG....I feel old now. Good Day!

[secondchapter]

A line I still use today, "50 watts per channel, babycakes." LOL.

[howapel]

Haha. I was just about to say the same thing. "50 watts per channel, babycakes." That and "You slay me, brother."

Chris from Ypsi

[TheRealmsOfGold]

No way! Ypsi, MI? I'm right next door, from Ann Arbor, and I plan on using this line from now on.

[panoramacity818]

goddam communists

[josephkrolikowski]

I used to LOVE this ad.....thanks for posting

[meangreen69Nova]

"50 watts per channel, baby cakes"....LOL man I used to use this tagline when I was a young lad and this commercial was out....about 1984-1985.

[BootsyJ]

yeah me too!

[brrooEy]

WTF!! vcr for 188!!

[OptimusPrimus001]

BEST LINES EVER!:

"Hello...YOU!...We...Require..­.Big...Savings...Please....You­r Welcome." / "Oh, You Slay Me, Bother"/ "Where Plotchney?"/"Fifty watts per channel,Babycakes!"

(...talk about russian stereotypes!)

[leshager]

man o man o man

i seriously had the "50 watts per channel babycakes" line pop in my head, so i googled it...BAM, here's the commerical. gotta love the internet

[BootsyJ]

I did as well. That is crazy. i love the internet

[Deminski2]

Are these commercial public domain

[qtkrispykreme640]

Even if they're not, I highly doubt that anyone's going to raise a stink about posting a commercial on YT. If anything, they'd be glad you're looking at ads.

[Deminski2]

I was asking because I watch this latenight Tv show on the weekends that shows retro commercials but I think those are PD...

It'd be cool to see the HIGHLAND APPLINCE adds on there....

[Matthew67899]

Hmmmm.....could that be Wolfman Mac???

[Deminski2]

Yeah The show's Wolfman Mac

[mynameiswhatever]

I loved this commercial! The "fifty watts per channel, baby cakes" used to crack me up. Thanks for posting this!

[pennman82]

I used to imitate the sailor in the last part of the ecommercial when I was a kid. I haven't seen that one since the 80's!!!

[MACpro58]

the local agency that did Highland now does abc (Gordie)

[nbarkiewicz]

Thank you for posting this, my husband and I had a retro commercial attack and had to see this! Does anyone remember the commercial that I think was for Highland Appliance, in which a woman is talking about all the things she'll make in her new microwaver, like duck a l'orange and souffle au chocolat, then her little kid pipes in, "Whatever happened to 'hamburger au ketchup'"?

[Mausome]

I miss Highland too, now I shop ABC Warehouse.

[WiZSOC]

"Fifty watts per channel, babycakes" is one of my most successful pick-up lines. It's a great icebreaker.

[RCmack]

Some of Michigan's best commercials from the '80's were Highland Appliance commercials.

It's too bad Highland went out of business. I miss Highland because I miss seeing their commercials.

Thanks for posting this!

[secondchapter]

WOOHOOO! I too am one of the Michiganders back from the day that uses the "50 watts per channel" sentence! LOL!

[miundies]

I can't even tell you how many times in my life I have uttered the words "50 watts per channel babycakes..." LOL! thanks for posting this one!!!!

[chrisman737]

Fantastic! We always laughed the hardest at that last line. "Fifty watts per channel...baby cakes! Smooch! Smooch! Smoooch!"

[Cluin]

This one was trip down memory lane for sure.

How about "Popcorn's really tender tonight, honey..." or "Two Days!" or "You've got an uncle in the furniture business, Joshua Doore, Josua Door"

[myhouses1]

The young kids at work just don't get it..I'd rather watch this ad,than most of the TV shows on the air..This is a classic..One of Michigans finest!!!!

[scott4370]

I used to work on those commercials in the 80s. WB Doner was by far one of the most creative places back then. My hats off to Hugh and the gang that made this and other classics!

[MACpro58]

I remember the muffler spot that Hugh was in

[polishbroadcast]

Thank you so much! I have wanted to see this again so badly. Most people from Michigan can quote "50 Watts per channel babycakes." Now i just have to find "The difference ... is mink."

[gregrocks90046]

awesome! when i moved to los angeles 12 years ago from michigan, everyone looked at me like i was from mars when i quoted "50 watts per channel, babycakes!"

[stickysubject]

YES!!! I never got the "50 watts per channel babycakes" out of my head!!! EVER! This was great marketing.

[xxlisettebabixx]

omg.!

i found it.!!

finalyy.!

my teacherr was tellingg us about this comercal today.

haha.!

babycakes.!(:

[zymogen5]

"Fifty watts per channel babycakes." Classic, absolute classic. And we still own the Hitachi TV we bought at Highland nearly 20 years ago.

[headlongthruthegloom]

Highland also ran radio ads. The best one was a spoof of the BeeGees' "Stayin' Alive."

("Hi hi hi hi Highland Appliance...") Classic stuff!

[AlexEisDC]

The owners of Highland were among the best clients in trusting in the power of advertising to touch people. Another classic by the wizards at Done Advertising wss called "Piano" to promote the audio department. In the spot, the mother of a young teen is on the phone in the kitchen, evidently speaking to one of his friends , "No, Bobby can't come out and play. He's practicing the piano." This of course as the guy is slipping out the window while a high-fideltiy recording is playing instead.

[drewdoo25]

Actually the agency is called Doner.

[AlexEisDC]

Indeed, the agency is Doner Advertising, formerly W.B. & Doner.

[drewdoo25]

You got it! Do you know who did the spot?

[oneillsn]

Thanks for posting this all-time classic! I was born and raised in Detroit, and I've been using "50 watts per channel, babycakes" as a tag line for quite a while. The line always played in Michigan. Unfortunately, and not surprisingly, in states outside of Michigan... you'll just get strange looks and that's about it.

[DaBigMotor]

Whatever happened to the one where the mother was serving, "duck a la o'range, and sufflet o' chokolait" on their new appliances, and the kid chimes in, "whatever happened to hamburger o'ketchup?"

[gregrocks90046]

yeah, the microwave commercial where they offered microwave cooking classes! the family was sick of eating popcorn!

[indigoIsBlue]

I did NOT expect to find this! Holy crap! Now I have to find the one with the Native Americans who, on Thursdays, "just usually have turkey". Thanks for posting this. It's been on my brain for like, 20 years.

[ApplianceMan03]

We need to support the little guy or we will loose more companies like this one .Visit your local appliance stores .

[mcgrathimages]

I vividly remember this commercial. Who could ever forget "50 watts per channel, babycakes"? My 3rd grade teacher used that tagline all the time. Of Detroit's big 3 appliance stores (Fretter, Highland, and ABC Warehouse), only ABC is still around.

[rocknroller111]

We used to have all three stores in our town too. They had some neat stuff and I miss them.

[joerokokovich]

Remember the one where the family has purchased a new microwave oven - but don't know how to use it? "The popcorn is tender tonight honey!"

Highland had the best commercials. Are they still around?

[beckczar]

YES! An absolute classic commercial. Too bad their gone now. Making it in Detroit is rough.

[sherflouski]

A VCR WITH a Wireless Remote!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rvt510]

Great commercial. Thanks for posting. Didn't Highland also have a Thanksgiving commercial?

[gilmore783]

The old Highland Appliance by my house (Southgate, MI) turned into a Michael's Crafts. Good stuff

[ah3133]

lol! i remember this ad! classic!

[norm43920]

Thats Awsum!

[ntoddp]

I cannot believe this commercial's available! One of my all-time favorites from when I was a kid living outside Toledo, OH.

[rocknroller111]

hello you we require big savings please you're welcome.

[PawsButton]

Everyone once in a while I'll walk into an appliance store, and the phrase "50 watts per channel, babycakes" pops into my head. Now I remember why!

[Thoreandan]

tarmer - thanks for posting! My friends and I still quote this too. :) LoZoccolo - Thanks for narrowing down the "Svimwear" / "Eveningvear" to the Wendy's commercial, I actually came here looking for that :)

[cmsmith68]

excellent! thank you... now if only we can find the 'billy can't come out and play right now, he's practicing the piano' commercial.. :D

[mdumas43073]

You can find that one at detroitkidshow dot com.

[juanchakkal]

didnt get it

[furdburfel]

Absolutely right...best commercial ever! How do I know? Because after not seeing the spot for almost 20 years (literally), I can still remember it word for word. Easily one of the best local commercials ever produced anywhere.

[bstevens4]

I love this ad! My family and I have been quoting the "Fifty watts per channel, baby cakes" and "Svimwear", since it first aired. I didn't see the "Svimwear" part in there though.

[LoZoccolo]

The "svimwear" part is from a Wendy's commercial.

[Thoreandan]

Found the Wendy's commercial at h t t p : // youtube . com / ?v=5CaMUfxVJVQ

[anitacrane]

Oh, what a great memory! Any chance you have the "never eat spinach with a stranger" one?

[dirtydee28]

they want bankrupt along with fritter

[ProductionX]

I can remember the days when both locations used to be in Toledo. The other store's name was 'Fretter" mind you.

[cpstamm]

Great commercial. I can't believe I actually found it on You Tube!

[wackyruss]

I remember Highland stores. Whatever happened to them?!?

[dirtydee28]

they went bankrupt along with fritter we only have abc warehouse.

[dirtydee28]

they went bankrupt along with fritter we only have abc warehouse.

[Matthew67899]

You mean Fretter? Oops Ollie overbought!! I use that line around work to this day!

[wackyruss]

Haha! 50 watts per channel... babycakes!

[unamor]

wireless remote, hahahaha

great one

[Sergcanes98]

That is so cool..the ancient console TV..I remember my parents had one of those