With the TRAGIC passing of dear Dave Thomas...it got me thinking. I know that for at least Illinois and Indiana, children grow up with the Empire Carpet Man. I knew that number before my home telephone number. For those of you that don't have a f*cking clue as to what I am talking about...let me explain. There's a carpet company that has been around YEARS....Empire Carpet. I don't know the old man's name...but they make commercials for just about every season. They always sing a little jingle at the end of the commercial with the phone number. 588...2300 EMPIRE!! He's like a "celebrity" in Illinois. I was just wondering if other states have things like that....little personas. (Dare I mention Eagle Man? Haha.) Anyhow. Just wondering.

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Hey pretty....don't you wanna take a ride with me...through my world?

I remember that commercial from somewhere in my early life... not sure if it was from when I lived in Michigan (1968-1976) or Wyoming (1976-1983)... been in North Carolina since 1983 (except for late '94/early '95 in Denver, Colorado), but the memory seems too faint to be after 1983...

"Five eight eight, two three-hundred... Em - PIIIIIRE!"

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Patrick W. Heinske -- LZeitgeist@aol.com
1988 Red Fiero Formula
- 1st Place - Stock Coupe - FOCOSEVA 2000
- 3rd Place - Stock Formula - FOCOA Nat'l 2001
- Class Winner - 1982 to Present - Tarheel Tigers All-Pontiac Show 2001

I used to hear that one when I lived in Carmel IN 20 freaking years ago........
Damn are they still around?

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"If you want to blend in, take the bus!"

And, HEY! Ask for the Wolfman!

There is a furniture store chain near Atlanta that this grizzled old dude and his daughter (Donna) own. They've been doing these same lame commercials for years.
They end every commercial with...
And, HEY! Ask for the Wolfman!

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Raydar

From the Department of Redundancy Department.

i know all about that raydar....i used to live in dunwoody and roswell and marietta, lol

We have those stupid Buddy's Carpet commercials, he's got weekly sales that always end Wednesday night. Totally awful. He lived across the street from me until I moved this spring. He knew what I thought of his commercials , but he always said they helped sell lots of carpet.

Hidy Honda, they don't have phone number songs, but for a car dealer, they have the most entertaining commericals I've seen. My favorite is the "blue man" commercials, and their version of "whats up."

Vern Fonk Insurance, has some of the funniest commercials. "Honk when you drive by Vern Fonk."

Or Jack Roberts "I won't be undersold."

I am about tired of all those check cashing commercials.

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quote Originally posted by onfire: Vern Fonk Insurance, has some of the funniest commercials.

{moron in hat, sitting with a bunch of stoners}
"uuuuuhhh.. I gots a '74 camaro... with glass packs, and cragars on the back... will you insure me??"

Funny crap... in a sick sort of way....

We have Kern Hill Furniture CO-OP. His saying is "Come oooooooooooooon Down, to the Kern Hill Furniture CO-OP!"

lol he's a big fat old guy that wears a cowboy hat! My idol *sigh* haha

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Dan
1985 Silver GT

LT1 Coming Soon.....

Ha, yeah, ditto on the Vern Fonk and Jack Roberts...those guys are local celebrities! Through the years I've seen both of them just in general public locations and it seems funny because I know they're just businessmen with stupid commercials, but at the same time they're on t.v. more than a lot of national celebs are!

The new local celeb in the northwest would be the fat carpet guy from Carpet Cents (Flynn I believe)..I love his saying, something like, "Two things are for sure, I need to lose some weight and you can't beat these prices."

Bryce
88 GT

quote Originally posted by fiero56: We have those stupid Buddy's Carpet commercials, he's got weekly sales that always end Wednesday night. Totally awful. He lived across the street from me until I moved this spring. He knew what I thought of his commercials , but he always said they helped sell lots of carpet. Hidy Honda, they don't have phone number songs, but for a car dealer, they have the most entertaining commericals I've seen. My favorite is the "blue man" commercials, and their version of "whats up."

Remember the Quick Brothers from the old King Kwick mini marts(same guy that did Concord City, I think)? And what about the old Steve Tatone Buick commercials.

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'84 Indy w/66K actual miles, second owner

When I lived in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, those Menard's commercials used to freak me out. That guy looks like a psycho about to go on a killing spree! "Save big money at Menards!" Yeah, if I weren't too scared to go in your store. Menards is a home/hardware chain.
In San Antonio they used to have these great radio ads for a pager company where the owner used to do his own commercials in a thick middle eastern accent. At the end he would always yell "I am the KING of bee-pohrs!!" That became a local catch phrase and you would hear people yelling it in bars etc.

{edit for sp.}

[This message has been edited by WampusCat (edited 01-14-2002).]

They didn't have a "star" personality, but I think Plaza Drugs ran the same TV commercial for 20 years. Long after the neighborhood degenerated into sleaze, their TV ad still featured the same pharmacist in an old-fashioned double-breasted tunic, and 1950's-looking ladies in white gloves and funny little hats sniffing perfume samples.

Plaza Drugs -- open all night.

The Menard's man is STILL scary. He's got that grin that is off to the side or something. I don't know. But yes, the Empire man is still around and still going strong. He now offer's a bobble head of him with every purchase. Great.

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Hey pretty....don't you wanna take a ride with me...through my world?

You've got a buddy in the carpeting buisness!

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AIM: Fierobaby87
http://angelfire.com/sports/sfiero

Empire's just coming into our territory. We're famous for chewing up national chains and spitting them out. Ever remember Highland? or Fretter?

A New York chain died shortly after trying to break this market; Crazy Eddies. A big, fat guy, shouting about volume sales and great deals, so "...because at Crazy Eddie's, we're INSA-A-A-A-ANE!"

"Come on down!" is the pitch of our resident shady character (P.E.#1 Whitey Bulger notwithstanding), Ernie Boch. He has a llama running around in his ads, too.

My son knew a glass company's phone number before his own, "1-800-54GIANT. Call Giant Glass. Done right. Done fast."

Myself, I liked the guy dressed as a lobster showing Pedro how to pitch. "This is how we do things in Dorchester." HA! It's a pitch (no pun intended) for McDonald's.

there was a song in the '60s, the chorus was:

"8675309"

i wonder how often people dialed that number to see who answers?

BTW Lady P - holycow! are you wearing anything in that photo?!

besides the gold necklass and bewitching smile? :c0

quote Originally posted by Ken Wittlief: there was a song in the '60s, the chorus was: "8675309" i wonder how often people dialed that number to see who answers?

There was an AC/DC song that also had a phone number in it (from dirty deeds I think?). I seem to remember the group making a plea to the fans to NOT dial that number...

Anyone ever hear of the furniture store called "The Sofa King"?

His prices were "sofa king great!"

MY older bro did a carlot ads dressed as a clown on local TV in tampa in 60's.
GLAD I DIDNOT LIVE THERE!!!!

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Question wonder and be wierd

Here in Central Florida we have an appliance company owned by a little Korean guy that just looooves to do his own commercials, in very broken english. He even goes so far as to do 30 minute infomercials describing the differences between appliances etc.

Mike
KOCF

Lady Pegasus, Im a little concerned about the photo you have been using for your signature

I think you better email me the whole photo so I can determine if its appropriate for you to be using it for your signature

1280 by 1024, uncompressed please :c)

quote Originally posted by Ken Wittlief: there was a song in the '60s, the chorus was: "8675309" i wonder how often people dialed that number to see who answers?

Are you sure that was the 60's? I thought it was late 70's/early 80's.

Anyways, it was by Tommy Tutone......here are the lyrics (I know you're all dying to see this!):

Jenny, Jenny, who can I turn to?
You give me somethin'
I can hold onto
I know you think
I'm like the others before
We saw you name and number on the wall

Chorus:
Jenny, I've got your number
I need to make you mine
Jenny, don't change your number
8675309 (8675309)
8675309 (8675309)

Jenny, Jenny
You're the only girl for me
You don't know me
but you make me so happy
I tried to call you before
But I lost mind
I tried my imagination
But I was disturbed

Chorus

I got it (I got it)
I got it
I got your number on the wall
I got it (I got it)
I got it
For a good time
For a good time call

*Instrumental Break*

(HEY!)

Chrous

Jenny, Jen
Who can I turn to?
For one time
I've got someone
I can always turn to you

Repeat until fade:
8675309 (8675309)

[This message has been edited by mrfiero (edited 01-14-2002).]

Oh, yeah, I forgot about Barry and Elliot, of Jordan's Furniture, "Not sale prices, Underprices." They have mimicked Blue Man Group, the Gap ads (The Khaki ones), and more.

The most amusing one is where Elliot is sitting somewhere on a leather couch, and a beautiful woman telld him (in a foreign language, subtitled) how nice his couch is and how attractive she thinks that he is. Then along comes Barry, who tells him that she said that he left his lights on. He thanks her and runs off to save his battery. The girl, confused, sits with Barry.

quote Originally posted by Indy-2M4: Remember the Quick Brothers from the old King Kwick mini marts(same guy that did Concord City, I think)? And what about the old Steve Tatone Buick commercials.

I rememebr the Steve Tatone commercials, and also the Mel Farr SuperStar commercials.
Also those ambulance chasers: Dyer, Garafalo, Mann, and Schults. You know, "The Tiger." I went to highschool with the Garafalos. The daughter literally almost ran me over with her car one morning, I ended up rolling onto the windshield.