Watching old potato chip commercials are one of the best ways to fritter away time online. You need something to break up the time after watching all those vintage beer commercials.
Here are a few noteworthy commercials. One introduces a new brand, one promotes a now-faded brand, and the last promotes a discontinued (but delicious!) flavor from a major national brand. Enjoy! Krunchers (probably from the late 1980s/early 1990s) [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1sNRXAF0F8&w=400]
Props from this video I'd like to buy, ranked in order:
The "No More Wimpy Chips" white crew-neck sweater The blue long sleeve t-shirt that just says "Krunchers" The "No More Wimpy Chips" one man band bass drum The solid green Krunchers bag (down with gradients!)
Morton's Potato Chips (early 1970s) [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LawN-ItjAqw&w=400]
Quick - name another commercial with a Carpenters song in it. Bonus if you got this one.
Morton's was a Texas-based brand in the 1960s and 1970s that merged with General Mills in 1984. The brand didn't last long after that.
The Wikipedia entry for Morton's dedicates as much space to this potato chip commercial as it does to the history of the brand. Cajun Spice Ruffles (1986) [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR1Eu01gav8&w=400]
The discontinuation of Cajun Spice Ruffles was always a bee in my bonnet. Spicier and less sweet than barbecue, they were a radical departure from the common flavors available in the 80s (variations on sour cream and onion, cheddar, salt & vinegar, and barbecue).
I enjoy imagining a Ruffles brand strategy meeting sometime in the mid-80s, where someone said the words "this campaign needs a Cajun humorist that knows food." We miss you and your crimson suspenders, Justin Wilson.