1971 American Tourister "Gorilla" Commercial

This famous, long-running commercial for American Tourister featured a guy in a gorilla suit beating the hell out of a piece of luggage in a zoo cage. He never could destroy that thing!

• Category

  Entertainment

[soylentteal]

This fellow now works for American Airlines and he handled my bag last month.

[loganteal27205]

Here is the deal folks, seeing as I work at the zoo where this gorilla, (and yes he's a real life gorilla), spent more than a few years of his life. His name is Ramar. He is wild born, and he came to the NC Zoo after being raised from the wild by a trainer from California. When Ramar became to big, he gave him to the NC Zoo in Asheboro, NC. He destroyed every "toy" he was given, but this luggage. In 1997 or 98 he was sent to the Brookfield Zoo. Look it up. He's a pretty amazing beast.

[keygenswb]

Madmen did a show about samsonite...

[ChicagoMel23]

I also saw it in Apollo 13.

[compaq2441]

This guy is working overtime for UPS during the holiday season.

[Hunter Mann]

Does anyone know which ad agency created this TV spot?

Looking for it on 16mm film.

[lovesdaisies]

The role of the gorilla was played by an actor. YouTube doesn't allow links, but here is info from American Tourister's website: "Inside Oofi's hairy gorilla costume was actor Don McLeod, the world's foremost pseudo-simian who has since starred in a variety of monkey roles including...the syndicated TV series TARZAN: THE EPIC ADVENTURES...Trading Places ...Naked Gun 2 and 1/2: The Smell of Fear. McLeod was called America's Foremost animal actor by People and Entertainment Weekly magazines. "

[lovesdaisies]

Here's the story of the guy who played the gorilla in this commercial. "Otto" was the real primate who was photographed in the print ad, but an actor played the primate in the TV commercial. His name is Don McLeod. He's played gorillas in many movies and TV shows. I can't post a link to his site here but Google him. You can read the whole story on his website at living statue dot com.

[YahikoHaldane]

I think that guy works for the Post Office now by the looks of the packages I have been getting.

[JonWashburn]

Today's TSA folks.

[Steve Raymond]

That is nether a man in a Gorilla suit or a Gorilla, It's an adult Chimpanzee. They are MUCH stronger than a man.