1-15-11 Tasty Vintage

We saw the bright blue package from the shoe aisles in the Super Walmart. The marketing geniuses have decided to call this "anniversary" packaging instead of "vintage" so, you know, none of us ever has to feel old. I've already read reviews of the Doritos "Taco" flavor in this throwback bag are more like the 80s recipe rather than the better, truer 70s recipe with real sour cream . . . who knows this kind of stuff?


Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, and Pepsi are in on the action as well, with Mountain Dew preferring the term "throwback":

What do you want to bet that we won't get little throwback metal pop-tops you can cut an artery open with?

Which got me to thinking about all the "throwback" foods I fondly remembered. Here's a quick trip down memory lane with what I could come up with.


First and foremost, is the promotion by Trix cereals in 1976, for the presidential election and bicentennial, that allowed kids to mail in their vote, whether they wanted to vote "Yes" for the rabbit to get some Trix of his own, or "No". I ask you, what little brat would deny this poor rabbit Trix? Of course, I mailed in "Yes" and got a button back in the mail that I wore proudly in the first grade. I was thrilled to discover this picture after having it logged in my memory for so many years.


When KFC was actually Kentucky Fried Chicken that you brought home with fantastically detailed sporks and your very own "Wet Nap folded fingerbowl"


Remember the newfangled part of the Pringle's space-saving can?

Count Chocola Franken Berry were those cereals my friends had in their pantries that I coveted. I wonder what the odds are the kids in this ad are now aging hipsters who are once again wearing ringer tees? (And how long has it been since a coupon worth ten cents was worth clipping?)

Mallomars! My grandmother had an affinity for marshmallow and chocolate cookies, so these actually did see the inside of our pantry.


I also remember a lot of things came in tins, including cookies and crackers.



Bob's childhood favorite I discovered, in my perusal, was once made in several flavors he didn't remember:


Does anyone else remember Mr. Wiggle, the Jello spokes . . .uh . . thing? They made puppets you could mail away for.



And here's a NEW IDEA! Mug-o-Lunch! I loved this!


Oh! And you couldn't watch a Charlie Brown special without wanting something made by Dolly Madison . . .



And the bubble burger gum I'd ride my bike to the 7-11 to buy in the bright plastic packages that looked like the styrofoam clamshells McDonalds used.


And speaking of McD's, there was a plane inside the McDonalds at the Edgebrook exit on I-45 that you could eat "in". Not quite the same, but this was the best I could find:

Does anyone else remember this?

I had the Grimace glass. He was my favorite.

And finally, I could not pass up the sheer awesomeness of this picture. Many fond memories of the BK, too, at least until they came out with this new übercreepy "King."

Nothing like the 70s baby.

I could probably do this all night, and I probably have to revisit the nostalgia for television shows and commercials and toys and clothes and . . . now that I've opened this can of worms.

"I can't believe I ate the whole thing. . . "



And if you like this kind of stuff, be sure to check out the collection on Flikr by roadsidepictures' Advertising Set.