Favorite Commercials From Television and Radio in the Eighties, Products Beginning with T

This is just meant to be a fun page in which people remember their favorite commercials from the eighties TV. I think sometimes I remember the commercials better than the shows I'm watching...

This page currently edited by: Dagwood. Past editor: ???



T.V. Play-Along Wheel-of-Fortune
This was a unique electronic game that was actually ahead of it's time. This was a hand-held game that looked like the Wheel puzzle board with a keypad. When you watched the show, you could play along with the contestants in sort-of interactive format. You can spin, buy a vowel, or solve the puzzle just like on the real show as the contestants tried to do the same. The commercial featured Vanna White, which was also a good way to sell the device. It also had a family playing the game and Vanna giving them pointers while they played. I still remember the puzzle solution............."ALL THAT JAZZ."
TIME LIFE BOOKS MYSTERIES OF THE UNKNOWN
Commerical back in September 1988 that goes how can you explain it talks about some woman and then pictures of aliens came on (that use to horrify me when i was little), how can you explain a man has a heart attack in the hospital he sees a glowing light and reaches for joy. Time Life presents our new series Mysteries of the Unknown and then about the man gets struck by lighting with a tv attena and then red palm and fingerprints comes on the screen and then there is the ordering information.
TNT Roach Spray
This chanteuse-y woman is singing about TNT Roach Spray. "Roaches I give you a warning. Don't look at TNT. Cause if you look at TNT, that's the last sight,you'll ever see. TNT has dynamite spray, the kind that blows a roach away. That roach has lived his final days on Earth. Roaches I gave you a warning. Don't look at TNT. But you did. Now you're dead! Cause TNT, is the last sight, a roach ever sees!" They just don't make bug spray commercials like that anymore.
TR3 Car Wax
(Circa 1983) Mr. T. was doing a bad commercial with the phrase, "You think I'm tough? This is tough! TR3!" and he was saying how TR3 works on his car door. It was taken place at a car dealer.
Tab
Tab, tab cola what a beautiful drink.. tab, tab cola, what beautiful people, Tab, tab cola looks beautiful to me.. real cola taste just one calorie tab.
Tab
I remember a Tab commercial from the early to mid eighies that featured a bunch of women in bathing suits and so-forth with a song playing in the background. The lyrics were "Tab's got sass. Ooooh you're gonna love it, a sassy great taste, can't get enough of it. Tab's got sass. Ooooh you're gonna love it, Tab!" Just thought I'd share!
Tab Cola
I remember there was this jingle that was parodying the classic 'Witch Doctor' song with 'Ooh-Eeh-Ooh-Ah-Ah, Tab Tastes, Walla Walla Bing Bang.'
Tab Cola
"Tab Tab Cola what a beautiful thing, Tab Tab Cola what a byoooootiiifullll...."
Tab Cola
Circa early-to-mid 80s. This was one of the last Tab commercials to feature the "What a beautiful drink" jingle. The commercial takes place in what appears to be a park, and it opens with a beautiful blonde lady strolling in a sexy way toward the camera. She's dressed in a pink halter top and white bermuda shorts, and her walk is in slow-motion, as if the producers made it that way to synchronize her body movement to the rhythm of the jingle. As the commercial closes, she meets her husband and small child.
Tab Cola
the jingle went like this 'tab (tab cola) as good as good can be. tab (tab cola) One calorie! tab (tab cola)... love this jingle!!
Tab Cola
The ad I remember featured a Tab drinking blonde in a sun dress walking toward two men at a yacht club. When one of the men introduces the woman as his wife, the friend says, "Beautiful!" and they all laugh.
Tab cola drink
Around 1984 during the Summer Olympics, a jingle Tab commercial aired I really enjoyed. It went something like this "Your my Tab, your the cola for me, got my regular Tab, got my caffeine free, your my Tab, your one of a kind..... " ,the rest is kind of lost to me but I use to enjoy this jingle commercial alot.
Taco Bell
Taco Bell's "Run for the Border" campaign. I think they changed it when they realized that it was not such a good idea to associate "run" with Mexican food. Once upon a time when you went to a Taco Bell, the menu had a pronunciation guide. For example: Taco (Tah' co) and Enchilada (En chi lah' dah). That may have been before the 80s though.
Taco Bell
Late 70' early 80's, One person says "what do you want to eat?" The other says "I don't know what do you want to eat?" After that a huge bell comes crashing into the room while the people act as if nothing is happening. Then the first person says "How about Taco Bell." as if it just came to them.
Taco Bell
Early 80's... Remember the slogan, "Take a Taco Bell Vacation" ...? The commercial began with a family in a car, the kids arguing in the back seat over whether to have hamburgers or chicken. They end up at Taco Bell with a Spanish dancer and a Mariachi dancer. I know every line.. how? I was the little girl in the commercial! I was about 10 or 11 years old. Good memory.
Taco Bell
The slogan was "Hello Taco Bell"
Taco Bell
Remember this? A guy in the desert with his horse is singing to himself while unwrapping a burger "my little four legged friend, mmm, hmm, hmm.... hey partner, want a bite?" then the horse stands on his hind legs and goes crazy, so the guy says "so I take it you don't want a burger?"
TalkBoy
I can't believe no one has put this on yet! The TalkBoy was basically a tape recorder with variable speeds. I think they had a TalkGirl, too, but I don't remember that commercial. But the TalkBoy commercial had this one part where an older teenaged sister was babysitting her 11 year old-ish brother. He has a TalkBoy and records himself saying "Hi, kids, we're home early." Then he goes and opens and closes the front door and plays it back at slow speed near his sister, who's sitting on the couch with her boyfriend, to make her think their parents are home. My friends and I still imitate that.
Talking Mickey Mouse
The Talking Mickey Mouse from Worlds of Wonder, the same folks who made Teddy Ruxpin. Mickey is onstage telling a story to an audience of kids.
Tasty Cakes
It had like diffrent people dancing to the jingle "Nobody bakes a cake as tasty as at Tasty Cake"
Tater-Tots
There's this little girl tap dancing all around her house and thinking of eating Tater-Tots. I can still hear her saying, "I wish I could eat Tater-Tots every day and the whole world was made of Linoleum!"
Tater-skins
This was a potato chip by Keebler that had the skin of the potato still on it... and sadly.. i still remember the theme song "Tater-skins got baked potato appeal, looks like potatoes with skins that are real" or something like that!
Tato Skins
This ones haunted me for decades. The jingle goes... "New Tato Skins got baked potato appeal, 'cuz they're made with potatoes and skins that are real. Cheddar cheese and bacon...sour cream and chives...tasty baked potato, you won't believe your eyes! They're made with potatoes and skins that are real, Tato Skins from Keebler...baked potato appeal!"
Teachers' Aid Society
A bunch of kids sitting around after school singing "I'm really glad they made the Teachers's Aid Society"
Teddy Grahams
Some big bears would be singing: "Teddy Grahams are here to stay." At the end of the commercial, they would sing "Nabisco! Ooooh."
Teddy Grahams
I believe this one aired in the late 80s. Anyway, the bears were dancing around and singing, "Let me be your teddy graham." (sort of to the tune of Elvis' Teddy Bear.)
Teddy Ruxpin
The children's toy that was a talking bear who says, "I'm Teddy Ruxpin. Can you and I be friends?"
Teddy Ruxpin
At the beginning you see the Teddy Ruxpin and Grubby dolls both singing the theme "When I look in the mirror, what do I see/My Teddy Ruxpin and me!. At the very bottom of the screen you see a caption that reads something like "Teddy Ruxpin doll requires Grubby doll to operate" which wasn't true. There's a little boy and girl and a baby in a carrier and the little boy and girl each have one of the bird-like hand puppets and they're mouthing the lyrics to the theme. It all takes place in a sunlit room in a house somewhere and at the end you see the baby laughing in the carrier. It aired in '84.
Teen Spirit deodarant
Teenagers are swinging on swings in the park and smiling.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Name says it all People! I could recount several ads, but here's just one for now. We all loved the Turtles at on point or another in our lives, and who could forget the action figures! This I believe was one of their first commercials( during the TMNT glory days in syndiction!)There was "Leonardo with his Katana Blades", Donatello master of the staff('Fore!') Raphael the Sais, and Michelangelo The nuchukus( Nunchuks) Splinter: "Oh. And master of whirling PIZZA." (Hee Hee) "Who ordered the Pepperoni and Ice Cream?" Chorus "Teenage Muntant Ninja Turtles".......from PlayMates. God Bless 'em.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cereal
TMNT theme song from the cartoon with an added "Its a Cereal!"
Tennessee tourism commercial
This commercial aired sometime in the late 80s. I can't remember all of what the commercial was about, but I know it was to convince people to come to Tennessee. In the end of the commercial, there was a woman moutain-climbing and this little jingle that went something like, "In Tennessee, we're waiting for you!"
Terminix
Came on (at least in my area, Central North Carolina) back in the early 1980's. Showed a group of GIANT bugs in the living room, one on a piano, and they are all singing "We are the baddest bugs in town/We love to sneak around/We come into your house and drive you crazy/We are the baddest bugs in TOWN!" Then, the Terminix man arrives on the scene to save the day and orders the bugs out, to the relief of the panicky couple waiting on the front lawn. As they are leaving in single-file from the house, one of the smaller bugs kicks the exterminator in the leg. And I would drive my younger brother insane singing that song. An all-time favorite of mine.
Theragram
We used to get really freaked out by the Theragram guy, who was a telegram man who brought vitamins instead of messages. His whole creepy face would fill up the screen, ala Mr. Roper from Three's Company, and he would say "I've got a theragram...FOR YOU." Scarier than most Stephen King movies, believe me.
Thomas' English Muffins
I don't remember all the words but it was a REALLY fast jingle with kids biting into a regular english muffin with no sound, and then biting into the Thomas' ones with a loud crunch with all those "nooks and crannies." It ended with "The original, one and only funny lookin' tasty cookin' Thomas' English Muffins."
Thornapple Valley Hot Dogs
"There's a smile in every bite!"
Three Musketeers
In this series of commercials the Three Musketeers, one of whom is called "The Maestro," are going out on the town or on a road trip. The first ad shows two of them walking through town on their way to meet the third. They are all depicted as being the height of cool. The jingle goes: "They don't hang around in ladies clubs or in a three-piece suit. Too big to call them dainty, too big to call them cute. Yeah, they're so big on chocolate--chocolate out to here. It's hard to keep on talking about those Three Musketeers." Then they all pile into a large car and one of them declares he is going to "have the time of my life." Another one asks "can that be done for under 7 dollars?" I always liked that commercial.
Thundercats
"Thunder, thunder THUNDERCATS!! THUNDECATS HOOOO!" "Feel the magic,hear the roar, thundercats are loose." I mean, c'mon, it was the the height of cheese, but it was good cheese. From Lion-o to Mum-rah, I ate it up.
Tic Tac Toes
This kid with a yellow shirt, blue pants, high-top shoes, dances around some HUGE cans of Tic-Tac-Toes. The song goes "Wherever I go it's X's and O's. Makes me feel so hungry for my Tic-Tac-Toes. Chef Boyardee's Tic Tic Tic Tic Tic Tac Toes! YEAH!" The kid ends on top of one of the huge cans.
Tic Tacs
It's the one and a half calorie breath mint.
Tic-Tacs
This commercial went like this: Tic-Tac, the little mint in the plastic flip box, Tic-Tac, a cool refreshed mint, not a fox, I I I I Love Love Love Love Tic Tac.
Tide
About 1987, P&G did a Tide commercial where this teenaged girl named Tracy "borrowed" her mom's dress to wear at a party. The dress then got something spilled on it, and this jerky girlfriend of Tracy's sarcastically goes, "Bummer, Trace..." My friends and I spent at least a month going "Bummer, trace..." to each other. Funny commercial.
Time Life Books
Time life was always selling books. Remember the American West series? There was this quote on the commercial that shook me me up as a kid, "John Wesley Hardin, so mean he once shot a man just for snoring." He was a cowboy.
Time magazine
A commercial for Time magazine. They would show magazine covers and pictures from past issues detailing famous events of the cold war. And in the background they playd the Byrds' Turn, Turn, Turn, which is the song that goes, "A time to live, a time to die, a time for love, a time for hate," etc. Really sold the magazine as important and comprehensive.
Time/Life
A number of black and white historical images flash on the TV screen as someone sings, "Time flies and you are there...." Then at the end, Nancy, your Time/Life operator comes on and encourages you to "Call now. Operators are standing by" for your Time magazine subscription. And if you call now, you can get this new digital quartz clock, absolutely free!
Tippy Toes doll
The commercial for this mechanical walking doll made by Mattel, shown pushing a stroller, caused quite a controversy because it showed a mailman staring at her bare plastic bottom at the end of it, exposed due to her short dress and complete with the final lyric line "It's her little bare bottom that shows." After complaints of it caused the commercial to be featured on David Horowitz's "Fight Back" show (with a censor box to boot around the bare bottom), Mattel revised the commercial that moved the final camera angle shot of the doll to front instead of back, and changed the lyric to "It's fun teaching her what to do."
Toffifay
I remember a commercial with an older man singing "Toffifay,,its too good for kids!" and then the shot goes to a young boy, looking dejected. Then the older man turns to him and says, "but not too good for you!" and the boy smiles. I don't know why, but this always stuck with me. Actually, the candy wasn't that good.
Tombstone Pizza
It's a small town, home grown, made the way you make your own pizza, Tombstone. We load it with lots of Mozzerella on the pizza, Tombstone. We pile on the goodness, we're loaded with real cheese, we're sure the taste of Tombstone's gonna please your family. It's a small town, home grown, made the way you make your own pizza, made the way you make your very own, Tombstone!
Tombstone Pizza
There is a guy in the Old West about to be executed for some crime. The executioner asks him what his last wishes are. Blindfold? No Cigarette? No. What do you want on your tombstone? Pepperoni & Sausage.
Tonka Trucks
You gotta remember this one: They took a real-life dump truck and a Tonka truck and pushed them simultaneously off a cliff to see which one held up better. As they fell, we saw slow-motion close-up video of the truck tumbling end over end, taking terrible damage as it collided with rocks and such on its way down. The toy, meanwhile, bounced harmlessly off the outcroppings. At the bottom, the real truck was a pile of twisted metal, but the toy was merely brushed off and presented to the camera.
Tootsie Pop
There was an owl and he was trying to decide how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop. In the end he takes two licks and a great big crunch.
Tootsie Pop
A great 70's & 80's commercial Boy : Mr. Turtle ? How many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop ? Mr. Turtle : I don't know. Why don't you go ask Mr. Owl. Boy : Mr. Owl how many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootie pop ? Mr. Owl : Let's find out (unwraps it and licks it once) One ... (twice) Ta-whoooo [two] ... (bites into it) three... ahem... three. Narrator Guy : How many licks does it take to get the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop ? *crunch* The world may never know.
Tootsie Rolls
The song for that commercial went: "the world looks mighty good to me 'cause Tootsie rolls are all I see whatever it is I think I see becomes I tootsie roll to me" I can't remember this part exactly but I think it was "Tootsie roll candy it's a chocolately chew, tootsie roll I think i'm love with you" then back to the other part. All the while these goofy cartoons show things like boats, trains, even dogs turning into Tootsie Rolls!!
Tootsie roll
The world looks mighty good to me, cause Tootsie rolls are all I see. Whatever it is i think I see, Becomes a Tootsie roll to me. Tootsie roll how I love your choclaty chew. Tootsie roll I think Im in love with you. Whatever it is I think I see, beacomes a Tootsie roll to me. I drive my wife nuts with that one
Top Choice dog food
This was an advertisement for Top Choice dog food, but I believe it was from the mid to late seventies. There were two children, one was opening a pouch of Top Choice and the second child said, "I'm telling Momma you're feeding the dog good hamburger." The first child replied, "That's not hamburger that's Top Choice." To which the second child stated, "Don't you tell me I know hamburger." (It's funnier when my brother says all these lines!)
Total Cereal
A middle-aged guy whose name I can't remember (Richard something?) would get a box of seemingly healthy cereal, and the perky yet omniscient narrator would tell him just how many boxes of cereal he would need to eat to get the nutrition from just one box of Total... "Get serious Richard, twelve boxes!" and finally at the end, happy Richard with his Total... "That's more like it, one box, one bowl, one spoon!"
Toyota
Toyota Who could ask for anything more! and Oh what a feeling!
Toyota
"I love what you do for me..Toyota!"
Toyota
The car commercials where everybody would jump up into the air at the end of each commercial. "Ohh what a feeling!"
Toyota
An earlier version of the commercial featured the jingle tune with the lyrics, "Ohhhhh, what a fun bunch of guys... Toyota!" Political correctness soon caught up to them.
Toyota Tercel
The melody was the same for "It's so easy to fall in love" and, as with many commercials, I thought the tune was originally intended for the commercial. It went "It's so easy to own Tercel".
Toys 'R Us
They had a fully animated Christmas ad that showed the family of giraffes walking & playing in the snow. It also featured a fantastic jingle: "The world's greatest toy store is Toys 'R Us, the biggest selection, Toys 'R Us. It's a Toys 'R Us time of year...."
Toys 'R Us
Several different commericals featuring walkthroughs of a house and neighborhood, dispalying various different toys and games. All the commercials featured the same song: "I don't want to grow up, I'm a Toys' R Us kid, there's a million toys at Toys 'R Us that I can play with! More bikes, more trains, more video games, it's the biggest toy store there is! I don't want to grow, because then if I did, I wouldn't be a Toys 'R Us kid!" It's just one of those jingles that stays with you forever.
Toys R' Us
I don't wanna grow up, I'm a Toys R' Us kid. A million toys to choose from, that I can play with. From bikes to trikes and video games, its the biggest toy stor there is. GEE WIZ! I don't wanna grow up, cuz baby if I did....I wouldn't be a toys r' us kid!
Transformers
Transformers... More than meets the eye... Transformers... Robots in disguise... Autobots rage their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons... Transformers... (thunderous crash of Autobot on dusty, rocky, sun-baked earth)
Transformers
Who can't forget the quote "More than meets the eye."
Transit In New York City
Take the train to the plane. Take the train to the plain.
Trapper Keeper
I remember this commercial which aired in the mid-80's that featured a high school kid at his locker, having a hard time getting it open. This girl comes up behind him and goes "Hi Jeff!" The kid turns around and asks: "How did you find me?" The girl looks down at several scattered papers and answers: "I just followed your notes." SHe then introduces him to the Mead Trapper Keeper binder. He opens his locker, and after tons of papers and notebooks fall out he turns to the girl and asks: "Do you think Mead makes a locker (person?) sized Trapper Keeper?"
Tremclad
"Treat it with Tremclad, give it that TLC" A whole family including the dog join in to repaint their rusted items. Its occasionally aried to this day!
Trident Sugarless Gum
Four out of five dentists surveyed recommend sugarless gum for their patients who chew gum.
Trix
There was this great Trix commercial circa 1986-1987. Two kids (a boy and a girl) are on a camping trip, and the Trix Rabbit is watching them. In this scheme, he hops behind a tree, and hops out as a real white rabbit. He hops over to the kids, and the girl starts petting him ("Awww, a bunny!"). The bunny starts sniffing the Trix box, wanting the "orangey orange, lemony lemon, grapety grape" (this was when Trix only had three flavors), and the rabbit jumps into the air. When he lands, he's turned back into the animated Trix rabbit, and the kids say the the famous catch phrase, "Silly Rabbit, Trix are for kids!" to which the Rabbit responds with "Animal haters!"
Trix Name that Rabbit
The Trix rabbit dressed up as a cowboy and entered a saloon, where the kids offered him Trix. After his usual speech, "Lemony Lemon, Orangey Orange, Grapety Grape!", he would usually mess up his costume in excitement and reveal he's a rabbit. But this time he was cool and the kids asked him, "What's your name, pardner?" and he's left wondering "My name. My name???". Then a contest is announced to "Name that Rabbit" and the ad ends to be continued. After some time (months?) part 2 aired with him in the old west needing a name. Just then a telegram arrives for him and he knows it's his name, which will allow him to enjoy the great taste of Trix, "Lemony Lemon, Orangey Orange, Grapety Grape! Thanks kids for givin' a name to this 'ere rabbit." But the kids hear him and take off his hat and grab his bowl, "Rabbit?! Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids." So he gave himself away, didn't get the Trix, the commercial ended, and we Never found out what his name was; probably making the whole contest a publicity stunt!!
Trix cereal
"Silly Rabbit, Trix are for kids!"
Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice
In 1984, Tropicana had the "Squeeze me a glass of Tropicana Orange Juice" campaign.
Twinkies
It only ran for a short time. Had a cowboy named Twinkie the Kid. Always a cartoon. The one in particular that I am thinking of had a lot of birds in it and one of them landed on the Kids middle finger, he only had three. I always thought that it seemed as if someone was trying to get away with a little innuendo, a bird landing on the kids middle finger. Someone else must have caught on, because like I said, it only ran for a short time
Twisters
They were this type of snack food, this commercial was out around 85/86 and had people turning into Twisters snack food at the end of the commercial, and hanging out on the beach....may have also been called "Twists"
Twix
Have we all forgotten the commercials set to Yello's "Oh Yeah"?????
Twix
It aired around 1987. The Campaign is "Keep on movin' with Twix".
Twix
"Two For ME! NONE for you" I remeber the one in the air plane when there are only two people left living in the crashed plane and its freezing cold and they find a Twix bar and are like, were saved! But then one guy tells the other guy I hear a plane, go call for it! And while the other guy is out there calling a fake plane the first guy stuffs both twixes into his mouth and the slogan TWO FOR ME, NONE FOR YOU pops up. I think they applogized later about how mean this line of commercials were.
Twix candy bar
"Homework! Homework! Gimme a break!" I can't remember the rest and I'm totally dying to!


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