News + Trends

15 cult food adverts from the 80s and 90s

17.7.2018

Translation: machine translated

The 90s were a different time. You argued with your parents because the phone line was constantly busy for your internet research. You danced to terrible Eurodance music and you recorded your favourite series on your VHS device.

So you could fast-forward the adverts. But the adverts were so great. TV adverts are no longer the same today. Who doesn't remember the jingles sung by Rügenwalder, Meica or Zott? Today, the industry backs adverts with a ukulele, a whistled melody and that's it. Back then, advertising agencies were still racking their brains over song verses.

That worked. I still know today that the insatiable Peter eats the whole metre of "Mini Wini" on his own. Good old days. After looking through dozens of 90s adverts, I have to admit: Things are no better. Especially when it comes to sexism and equality, advertising has made great progress in the last quarter of a century and that's a good thing. You'll soon see what I mean when you turn back the clock with me on a trip down memory lane.

1. star fruit

This advert is the perfect embodiment of the 90s. Dry ice, synthesiser sound and catchy lyrics. Apparently, "extra-large pieces of fruit" were popular back then - something that is hardly advertised today.

2. miracel whip

Miracel Whip is a mayonnaise substitute that is only available in Germany and is said to be "light and flavourful". Everything should taste bland with mayonnaise. ~~Luckily~~ unfortunately we can't test it here in Switzerland. Miracel Whip is not available here.

3. Thomy mayonnaise

Here comes the right mayonnaise. Here comes the pleasure, if the slogan is anything to go by. The advertisers simply took a familiar melody and had the slogan sung to it... It worked.

4. you may

I think it's a brilliant idea to call a diet product "You're allowed". The song is less great. Making a cover version of Ryan Paris' Italodisco classic "Dolce Vita" borders on blasphemy for me, or rather: "You are not allowed"

5. Ovomaltine

Famous artists were also used for this advert, or at least inspired by them. The Ovo song sounds suspiciously like Yello with "Oh Yeah". "Not better, but longer" was used as a claim until 2004 and made a comeback in 2012. .

6th Mini Wini sausage chain

The advertisers have composed a purely original piece for Meica. I still know the whole sausage chain rap by heart today, even though we never bought the sausages in a jar. I would try them, even if I'm highly sceptical about sausages from a jar.

7th Super Dickmann's

Now it's getting a bit borderline. First, a slightly overweight gentleman eats a chocolate marshmallow and declares to the camera: "Wow, he's fat, man!". Then the same thing happens again, with a young lady who smiles a little embarrassed. Coincidence? I don't think so.

8th Harzinger cheese

This advert makes my hair stand on end. An exhibitionist shows two nuns (!) his open coat. The nuns comment with sentences like "That's a great thing!", "Looks healthy..." and "Downright skinny!". Then the greenie turns round and reveals the solution: he has cheese in his coat.

9th Dallmayr Prodomo

Today, this advert would feature hipsters with full beards and leather aprons roasting coffee and then filling it into bags made from recycled paper. In the past, "handmade" was depicted with middle-aged women in white aprons. They fill coffee into a glossy bag and hand it over to a small, beaming girl with a motherly smile. Much preferable to hipsters with beards.

10. duplo

When a date spontaneously comes round, you make a quick clean sweep of your flat and remove photos of your ex-girlfriend, replace infantile comics with the collected works of Rilke and offer your beloved a mediocre chocolate bar that you sell as the longest chocolate in the world. If only the cheeky little brother doesn't throw a spanner in the works! Of course, I didn't realise at the time that the longest chocolate in the world was probably also a frivolous allusion.

11th Milka Fresh

I confess, I bought the breakthrough single by the German dance project "XXL" in the deep 90s. "It's cool man". I completely forgot that there was an almost identical follow-up single with the title "Geierwally". XXL then released a single for the European Football Championship in 1996 and apparently sampled Mehmet Scholl. Fortunately, I couldn't find this "gem of music history" after two minutes of internet research. Long story short: the origin of Peter Steiner and the cornerstone of his "success" is this Milka advert for a product that I wouldn't even offer to my worst enemy for coffee.

12th Yogurette

I would much rather deny myself chocolate than have a small supply of "Yogurette" in the fridge. When men whistle after women while jogging these days, it's tasteless at best. About as tasteless as a Yogurette. So it still fits somehow.

13th Nogger

I don't know what this advert is trying to tell me. You make an impression with an ice cream in your hand? An ice cream can save you from a duel in the street? An ice cream can chase away cats that pee in your garden? The slogan "Have a nogger" is just as disturbing. The slogan has since been dropped, but Nogger still exists.

14th Rügenwalder

"Sex sells" was also popular in the 90s. Flowing hair, blue eyes and an appearance on horseback: no, this is not a perfume or beauty product being sold, but spreadable sausage. A product unknown to us Swiss. After all, we have "Le Parfait". Who needs "Rügenwalder" then?

15th Zott cream yoghurt

Today, young people drink cough syrup with codeine to let themselves go at the weekend. In the past, Zott cream yoghurt was enough for the "weekend feeling". Let yourself go, just switch off and enjoy the creamy flavour!

BONUS

This advert unfortunately doesn't advertise any food and therefore doesn't really belong on this list. Nevertheless, I don't want to deprive you of this classic. I've heard that scrubbing still goes on in Villabajo to this day.

Dishwashing detergents

Fairy Original

Gel

Which legendary advert from the 90s have I forgotten?

17 people like this article

Simon Balissat

Teamleader Editorial

Simon.Balissat@digitecgalaxus.ch

When I flew the family nest over 15 years ago, I suddenly had to cook for myself. But it wasn’t long until this necessity became a virtue. Today, rattling those pots and pans is a fundamental part of my life. I’m a true foodie and devour everything from junk food to star-awarded cuisine. Literally. I eat way too fast.

Search