Skip to main content

TNCW Gone Commercial

In 1961, the Leo Burnett Agency in Chicago developed the Charlie the Tuna campaign that made tuna the food of the masses and helped to bring tuna noodle casserole to every home in America. I once took a typing test for a a job at Leo Burnett, hoping to get a lackey job that would pay for a year's worth of college. I failed the test because I couldn't figure out how to type up a table on the stupid typewriter (pre-computer days), and I ended up working for a title agency in the basement of city hall.

Anyway, the campaign for canned tuna took off, and Charlie the Tuna became as much a part of my childhood psyche as Andy Griffith, Get Smart, and The Dick Van Dyke Show. The poor tuna was forever coming up with ways to attract Star-Kist so he could become the next big fish, as if he didn't realize he'd be gutted and filleted if he were caught. He wanted to prove how much taste he had as an artist or a connoisseur of something or other. It was always some other sea creature that would save his life by saying, "But Charlie, Star-Kist doesn't want tunas with good taste. Star-Kist wants tunas that tastes good."

Sometimes when I see a really stupid ad campaign or a product that is destined to fail, I wonder about the marketing team that sat around the conference table and all thought up the losing idea. When it comes to Charlie the Tuna, I wonder about the team that sat around in 1961 and came up with a sarcastic fish that wanted to be caught and was willing to make a fool of himself to do it. Whoever they were, they were brilliant.

Comments

dive said…
Wow, Robyn. He's new to me. It's a great advertising tag line. I'll watch the video when I get home.

We DID have Get Smart over here in the sixties. Now I'm going to have to spend my lunch hour Googling it and wallowing in nostalgia.
Sigh …
7:30 AM
Neponset River Bridge Dig said…
Robyn -remember this jingle

"what's the best tuna? Chicken of the sea"

Thanks for bringing ole Charlie back, it seems there are not many tuna commercials on tv anymore.
9:50 AM
Gina said…
I totally remember the ad campaign, how could I not? My dad would bring home all sorts of crap with Charlie on it.
12:25 PM
Anonymous said…
He's new to me too but I watched the video and thought he was rather cute. We used to eat quite a lot of tuna which seems to be an all-time child favourite and my cats certainly like it!
I also love the John West commercials for salmon.
1:43 PM
dive said…
Hey, Robyn. I just watched the video.
Did the woman in the ad steal your "Scout" haircut?
2:30 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An Offending Pile

So, I'm standing in my living room letting my mind wander for a minute or two as I stare out the window and watch the day go by, and I see my neighbors walking their dogs down the street. They are nice neighbors who are always friendly and responsible with their property. That is to say they aren't like the other neighbors who heap rubbish behind their house like Ma and Pa Kettle and let their dogs bark for thirty minutes at a time . Anyway, I see the nice people walking their dogs, a big golden retriever who is as sweet as can be and as dumb as a post—he once ate a sock and nearly died before it was surgically removed—and a new golden retriever puppy. Then I see Neighbor Wife suddenly run down the street with the big dog. Then I see Neighbor Husband stopped in front of my house with the puppy on its leash. And then I see the puppy taking a huge dump in my grass. Let me tell you, that is not done in this town unless the dog owner has a plastic bag handy and is ready to pick up ...
16 comments
Read more

Long Live Anita Bowser

You know I occasionally check my hometown newspaper's website to scan the obituaries (morbid, I know, but I'm at that age). Over this past weekend, I read the obituary of Indiana State Senator Anita Bowser . She was a noted Democrat who championed causes protecting the neediest in the state's population. She was respected on both sides of the aisle for her intelligence and plain and outspoken approach to law making. The picture on her senate page is lovely. I remember none of those things about Anita Bowser . My first year or so in college was spent at a branch of Purdue University, and in the early 80s, Anita was a political science professor. She taught my American Government class my freshman year, and she was a mess. Somewhere in my old text book, I have a sketch of her drawn on a particularly dull day in class--her hose sagged at her ankles, her slip showed at least half an inch all the way around, her hair had been slept on but not brushed, and her bright red lip stic...
18 comments
Read more

A New Ride

I have a new car. I have a new car. I have a new car. I traded in my big-ass Pacifica for a Camry Hybrid. It's pretty. See? It has keyless ignition (which seems to serve no purpose but to keep you from having to put the key in the ignition). It has heated seats. It has dual climate control. It has a talking map with little flags to represent the location of restaurant--for example, Bob Evans is marked with an American flag, and a pizza shop is marked with an Italian flag. It has a sunroof which I will never open because the passing wind sucks out my ears. It also has Sirius radio, and so now I have my very own Broadway channel and the Amaazing Seth Rudestsky. I think Seth and I are going to become good friends. Cars don't bring happiness, but this one brings show tunes.
13 comments
Read more