Pop Culture League Challenge: Top Ten

This week the Pop Culture League was tasked with making a top ten list. What kind of top ten? Whatever we want! The first thing that popped in my head was my "Top Ten Ninja Turtles Comics" but I have done that before. Then it hit me, the "Top Ten 80s Commercials That Popped In My Head At This Moment". This is a visual list of 80s commercials that made such an impact on me that they immediately jumped to mind when thinking about the subject. I hope you enjoy!

10. The Real Ghostbusters: Gooper Ghosts Commercial

We owned the Ecto-1 and all the other GB toys seen in this video back in the 80s, but the one thing we didn't have was one of those kick ass city playsets that were always featured in these types of commercials. Who didn't want one of these? They were amazing, but we made do with the floor in our shared bedroom.

9. G.I. Joe: Serpentor Commercial

In a legendary Cobra hierarchy that includes such mastermind visionaries as Destro and Cobra Commander, Serpentor was the top chief. I mean, holy crap, this was a kids cartoon that had the bad guys grave robbing some of the baddest dudes in history to create the ultimate evil! His DNA was a mix of Napoleon, Julius Caesar, Attila The Hun and Hannibal. I had this toy and he reigned supreme over all other bad guy toys in my playtime universe!

8. Atari 2600 Commercial

I'm pretty sure this commercial came out around the time Nintendo was already in the market. That may explain the crazy low price of $50 for an Atari 2600 system! I never owned the 2600 as a kid, but did pick one up later in life and I love it! Sure the graphics are crazy outdated, but the fun and nostalgia are still there. Oh, yeah BTW the song in this ad is what has stuck with me for years. Every now and then you can still hear me humming the words "The fun is back! Oh yessiree! It's the 2600 from Atari"!

7. Charms Blow Pops Commercial

Not 100% sure this commercial came out in the 80s. If it did, I think it was aroundthe late 80s, let's say '89. I remember seeing this commercial run a lot in the summer time. Since the first time I saw this commercial I can not get the images of kids playing a sweet electronic drum set with Blow Pops, a kid saying "From Charms" with a deep man voice and the kids forgetting their lines. Hey, we've all been there, don't feel too bad Charms crew.

6. Nintendo: The Legend of Zelda Commercial

I gotta say, whoever was writing commercial jingles back in the 80s really knocked it out of the park. I still know every word to this hot "Rap" track. But let's not overlook the cameo by a Nintendo Fun Club Magazine and the way The Legend of Zelda brought nerds and cool kids together in the fight against Gannon! Maybe it brought them a little too close together? That's what the NES did, it was a common bond between kids on the school yard.

5. Bubble Yum: Checker Mint Gum Commercial

Wow! Where do I start with this one? Should I talk about the retro diner setting, the cool dude appearing out of the table, the penguin blowing a square bubble or maybe the flying magical taxi? Nah, the real hook here is the brilliant musical score. As a kid I did "Check It Out" and did enjoy it. This is on my list of food stuffs I would like to see make a come back!

4. McDonalds: Ronald on Ice Christmas Commercial

This commercial set the bar extremely high for all other Happy Meal commercials that came after it. This was a Christmas spectacle. The blend of animated animals and live action actors was something we had never seen before in a fast food commercial. It was more like a Disney movie than a way for McDonalds to sell cheeseburgers and fries. Damn, who didn't love Ronald McDonald after seeing what an amazing skater he was with such a big heart. I am hungry for some McNuggets now.

3. Milford Plaza: Lullaby of Broadway Commercial

If you grew up in the NY/NJ/PA area in the 80s, you know this commercial. It bombarded us constantly on our local channels. It didn't matter what was on. From Kissyfur to Night Court, whatever you were watching, this over the top entertaining commercial would come on and you would be singing it's praises for the rest of the night! I wonder if they are still in business? Let's give them a call at (212) 661-1717.

2. Toys R Us: Lazer Tag Christmas Commercial

THAT GIANT AWESOME ROBOT! I wanted one of those. Of course it wasn't a real toy, but that didn't stop me from dreaming. Why could this nerdy old accountant get one, but I never did? Why Geoffrey? WHY? Oh, also included in this spot is a sweet Lazer Tag set and sweet Christmas set up in that kids house.

1. Masters of The Universe: Castle Grayskull Commercial

Me and my brother had this amazing playset growing up and when I saw this commercial it blew my mind. According to this 30 second masterpiece we were the cool kids everyone wanted to play with at the beach. We had "Master Power" and could take down any threats thrown at us. Truly empowering stuff!

That's it for my top ten. I hope you enjoyed and it took you back to a simpler time. Check out these other League Member's sites to see what their putting on their list:

Green Plastic Squirt Gun: Top Ten Monster Cartoons From The Past
Toy Break: Top Ten Favorite G.I. Joe Accessories
Mr. Smith: Top Ten Most Influential Toy Lines
Alexis' Universe: Top Ten Favorite Vintage Toy Lines
The Toy Box: Top Ten Memorable G.I. Joe Figures