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Stronger Than Dirt

Well, it's a new month and the folks over at Theme Thursday have chosen "white" for the month of June.  The concept behind Theme Thursday is to help give bloggers a little boot to their creative behinds once a week and hopefully prompt them into writing a post about the week's theme.  For the last little while they've been using colours at the outset of each month.

When I saw this month's colour my mind immediately took me back to those old laundry and household cleaner commercials that used to air on TV.


For example, does anyone old enough remember the Ajax commercials from the 50s?  Yeah, it was "stronger than dirt".  And Ajax was the white knight...



That was the 50s, but by the 70s Ajax was "like a white tornado"...



Meanwhile, who better to advertise a cleaning product than Betty "White". Here's her sales pitch from the 70s.



But it's the 50s that provide us with the real classics. Here's an ad with a tuneful slogan that's proved popular to this very day.



Somewhere along the way, though Mr. Clean took a um, ah, different approach to how he helped housewives.  And to mix our marketing slogans, "You talk about a white tornado..."



I think we'll stop right there.

And that, folks, is my interpretation of "white".  Sweep on by the bloggers at Theme Thursday and see how they interpreted this week's topic.

Comments

Moooooog35 said…
What's creeping me out is that Mr. Clean looks just like the guy who did the addition on my house.

During the summer.

When my wife was home.

Sonofabitch.
nonamedufus said…
Moooooog: Yeah they always show they guy hanging out with the housewife. Guess, now we know why!
00dozo said…
Save and except the last commercial (heh heh - too funny), I remember them all. Egad, I'm old.
Betsy Brock said…
So funny...I would have never remembered Ajax, the White Tornado until you jogged my memory!
nonamedufus said…
00dozo: I remember, too. Ajax charging down the street on a white horse and zapping dirty people - who could forget?!
nonamedufus said…
Betsy: "It cleans like a white tornado" is just one of those things that rolls around in my brain. Good God I need a life.
Donnie said…
I remember all of those. The "dirty" Mr. Clean was a next door neighbor of mine who is now serving time for fondling kittens at a petting zoo.
Wasn't all of the "whiteness" racist?
I may have file a suit with ACLU because Betty White isn't black.
nonamedufus said…
Don: Yeah, it's funny there were no blacks in these commercials. Well, actually, I guess not.
Canadian Blend said…
There's a Doors song, it might be "Touch me Babe," (if that's what it's called) that ends on a four-note stab in which I always hear "stronger than dirt!"
nonamedufus said…
Cdn. Blend: Yeah, you're absolutely right. Well done!
Ed & Jeanne said…
Wow...Betty White when her hair wasn't... cool!

Good choice on the theme!
nonamedufus said…
VE: Yeah - ha, ha, - who knew?
Anonymous said…
And here I thought Betty White didn't become successful until AFTER her hair turned white.

And you know what? Mr. Clean is kinda sexy.

rrrrRRRrrrr
nonamedufus said…
Quirks: White's 88 and started her career in radio. She first appeared on TV in 1952. With the death today of Rue McClanahan she's the last surviving "Golden Girl"!
Leeuna said…
A great take on "white". I remember those commercials. I hadn't thought about the "stronger than dirt" one for years. And that last one? Mister Clean is now "Mister Dirty(old man)" :)
Gladys said…
Yep remembered all of those including Betty White. Too bad they didn't use Betty in that last commercial. :)
nonamedufus said…
Leeuna: We're all showing our age. You better than I, of course.
nonamedufus said…
Gladys: Betty White and Mr Clean would have been a hoot!
I'm hoping I can still get that white knight to come point his lance at my house.

(Kudos to Gladys for suggesting the Betty White/Mr. Clean pairing.)
nonamedufus said…
CL: Is that a euphemism?
Yes, I do remember some of those. It intrigues me to see the way products that have been around forever morph along with fashion. -J
nonamedufus said…
HH: You bet - everything old is new again!
Brian Miller said…
ha. wonderful take on the theme...i remember a few...so i guess that only makes me half old...
nonamedufus said…
Brian: Either that or your memory's only working at half capacity! ;)
Dreamhaven said…
So many memories. Thanks for sharing.
nonamedufus said…
Dreamhaven: Glad you enjoyed it.

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