7800Knight Posted August 1, 2022 Share Posted August 1, 2022 We should have a thread dedicated to advertising of our beloved classic games, computers, consoles, etc. We can share television commercials, print ads, circulars, etc. I'll start us off with this Commodore 64 television commercial. I remember seeing this commercial on television that touted how amazing of a gaming machine the Commodore 64 was. Of course, if those kids came knocking down the door at my house, I'd call the cops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7800Knight Posted August 1, 2022 Author Share Posted August 1, 2022 I love these trade advertisements meant for arcade operators; I take it these ran in trade journals. They advertised new games, conversion kits, etc. This one is for my all-time favorite video game Burgertime! Want fries with that? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanooki Posted August 1, 2022 Share Posted August 1, 2022 (edited) Welcome to 1985/86 -- before things really had any set idea of direction still. Will you be the one to experience this? (It's the launch window ad, doesn't say deluxe set yet.) Also has a few follow ups too (30sec spots) from the same period/black box only stuff. Here's a spread of 21 Classic ads of theirs and even some rare to see third party spots all NES based so 1985-91. But if you have too much free time, here's a 36min blowout of 75 ads Edited August 1, 2022 by Tanooki 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanooki Posted August 1, 2022 Share Posted August 1, 2022 Felt wrong not doing this too, here's an HOUR of SNES stuff -- good variety Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7800Knight Posted August 1, 2022 Author Share Posted August 1, 2022 I love these comic book ads from Parker Brothers for Qbert, Popeye, etc. They'd show screenshots of the various conversions of the game for the Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Colecovision, etc. I actually ran down to my local store to ask for these games...the staff looked at me weird. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Pendleton Posted August 1, 2022 Share Posted August 1, 2022 You knew this was coming. Not having it would be wrong and bad and probably illegal somewhere. While I'm here, have one of my favourite arcade flyers. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7800Knight Posted August 1, 2022 Author Share Posted August 1, 2022 I loved the "Genesis Does What Nintendon't"! It was catchy. This was back before Sonic the Hedgehog, the Sega mascot & flagship game was introduced - this console touted how much more powerful it was than the NES. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razzie.P Posted August 1, 2022 Share Posted August 1, 2022 These drove me crazy as a kid because I never had Intellivision but these looked like amazing games featuring some of my favorites 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razzie.P Posted August 1, 2022 Share Posted August 1, 2022 Reading a Zelda II instruction manual pretty much sold me on wanting a Nintendo, but this comic ad was the reason I got off my ass and starting earning some $$$ to get one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7800Knight Posted August 1, 2022 Author Share Posted August 1, 2022 I love the comic book ads from the 1980s. This Mario Brothers ad was fun to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7800Knight Posted August 1, 2022 Author Share Posted August 1, 2022 More of Burgertime - it's my all-time favorite video game and I loved this ad that ran in comic books for the upcoming home conversions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7800Knight Posted August 1, 2022 Author Share Posted August 1, 2022 The ads, both television & print, boasting Intellivision's superiority to Atari was right on - rather than tell, George Plimpton actually gave a side-by-side comparison of the two systems. Now that's what a video game ad should be. Don't tell me your product is better than the competition - SHOW ME!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7800Knight Posted August 1, 2022 Author Share Posted August 1, 2022 Found this right now on Pinterest - it's an ad for Toys R Us touting all their video games available. I'm guessing this is from the late 1980s. Look at all those video games! It's not just Nintendo Entertainment System titles - there's also Sega Master System, Atari 2600, Atari 7800 and Atari XE titles too! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzip Posted August 2, 2022 Share Posted August 2, 2022 I love how this 5200 TV commercial not only admits that 2600 Pacman is awful, they somehow manage to imply it's Coleco's fault 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzip Posted August 2, 2022 Share Posted August 2, 2022 Pole Position commercial poking fun at 80's "Preppie" trend? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7800Knight Posted August 2, 2022 Author Share Posted August 2, 2022 Dr. Jerry Carroll, radio DJ, pitches video games in this 1981 commercial for Crazy Eddie's. I'll have to explain this more; I grew up with these commercials in the New York City metro area. Crazy Eddie was an electronics chain founded in 1971 in New York City by Sam and Eddie Antar. They had many commercials, both radio and television, performed by WPIX-FM radio DJ Dr. Jerry Carroll who emphasized the main selling point of Crazy Eddie - his prices are insane! Crazy Eddie boasted having the lowest prices and would beat competitor prices. Sadly, this led to the chain's downfall. Part of it was due to Eddie Antar's criminal activity (Wikipedia has more details here: Crazy Eddie - Wikipedia). But a lot of it was due to cutting prices; Crazy Eddie and one of its competitors Newmark & Lewis cut prices so much that they had small profit margins on their electronics. Crazy Eddie went out of business in 1989 and was liquidated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7800Knight Posted August 3, 2022 Author Share Posted August 3, 2022 And now the TV commercial of the above Mario Bros comic book ad. It's hilarious that this is touted as Mario Bros from ATARI - nowadays, they are known to be Nintendo character for certain. I still love this game even though it is before the brothers having super mushrooms, fire flowers and stars. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanooki Posted August 3, 2022 Share Posted August 3, 2022 (edited) That ad I still remember because it was just catchy. Atari got away with it because of that agreement that ate it thankfully, much like how Philips got away with 2 decent and 1 god awful Zelda game and the pretty nice hotel mario too despite Nintendo wanting no hand in it at all. Also a rare case where Luigi in a way got top billing, check the hat. Edited August 3, 2022 by Tanooki 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseystyle Posted August 3, 2022 Share Posted August 3, 2022 One of my favorite games ever, and I loved how the ad showed the character as just some pudgy balding dude. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7800Knight Posted August 3, 2022 Author Share Posted August 3, 2022 There were a number of conversions for the arcade game Popeye. I loved this ad for the game! 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7800Knight Posted August 3, 2022 Author Share Posted August 3, 2022 And now the actual commercial with George Plimpton for Atari vs. Intellivision. I reiterate - if you want to prove that your video game is better than the competition, don't tell me - SHOW ME!! Having side-by-side comparisons of the product really works here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzip Posted August 3, 2022 Share Posted August 3, 2022 14 hours ago, jerseystyle said: One of my favorite games ever, and I loved how the ad showed the character as just some pudgy balding dude. I actually bought the game because of that ad! I think it's because it took the time to explain the game and made me want to play it. Most game ads of that era made some bold but vague claim that took up half the page, and then at most have tiny blurbs about the game and/or a screenshot if you were lucky. I bought some of the games mentioned in the ads below, but it was in spite of the ad, not because of it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7800Knight Posted August 4, 2022 Author Share Posted August 4, 2022 (edited) This ad for the Atari 2600 conversion of Star Wars: The Arcade Game graced so many comic books. I loved it. The guy there reminds me of myself at 3AM in the morning when I had too much caffeine. Edited August 4, 2022 by 7800Knight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7800Knight Posted August 6, 2022 Author Share Posted August 6, 2022 A number of Atari ads ran in comic books and magazines that offered hints like this - one way is wrong or nets you less points. The other way is right or gets you more points. This one is for Jungle Hunt. Others exist for Ms. Pacman and Dig Dug. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanooki Posted August 6, 2022 Share Posted August 6, 2022 That 2600 Star Wars ad guy shows exactly high you have to get to make that statement about an arcade port to that hardware to get you to feel that way about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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