Holy Throwback! Check Out These Vintage Duluth, Minnesota TV Ads
Looking at pictures from the past always provides a cool sense of nostalgia as you get to not only see scenes from the past, but also the trends of fashions of that time.
Even better than pictures from the past is video from the past, especially commercials. Commercials truly capture the trends and fashions, and of course some very dated music. With that in mind, I decided to seek out some vintage television ads that would've been seen at different points in time across the Northland.
It didn't take long for me to find some good stuff, beginning with the video below. It's a real Duluth television commercial break that aired in 1970. It starts with a Team Electronics ad with music that screams 1970 and sound equipment that's fantastically dated.
It only gets better from there with a fairly creepy Target ad, that seems oddly ominous at the around the 1:45 mark. However, I think my favorite in the video below is the wig commercial.
Let's jump ahead to 1978 and a commercial break that aired on WDIO-TV during their 'Early Movie'. The movie featured on this broadcast is "This Island Earth" and from the brief glimpse we get, it looks crap-tastic.
The commercial break highlight in the video below is the bank ad that shows a station wagon with wood grain panels, just like Clark W. Griswold! It also shows a school crossing guard that brings back a lot of memories for me as I was once a proud crossing guard for Grant Elementary School. Go Grizzlies!
As a bonus, here's another video clip from this same movie broadcast and while it doesn't feature the local commercials of the videos above, it's worth it just to see the local WDIO news team from 1978. Their fashions are fantastic and the set is definitely a case of making the most of what you had at that time, especially the weather map.
Next up is a video that is very bizarre. It was surely was created for some comedic purpose and not to air during a regular broadcast of any kind, unless as part of a local comedy broadcast. It features longtime Duluth television and radio personality Pat Kelly, who is obviously selling a fake item, and he does it very well. The big question is, why?
Once last video, on this trip down memory lane anyway. Let's jump ahead to 1993 and commercials that aired on KBJR. I think you'll not only recognize familiar faces, but also familiar Northland businesses.
So fun to see things like that and not only will I keep digging for more, but I'll be sure to share!