588-2300 Empire

[FlashHarry]

Anyone remember that commercial jingle from the 80s? I think it was for a local Chicago carpet store, but it was played heavily on WGN, so it was seen by millions of non-Chicagoans.

As an ad-man, I'm personally opposed to jingles. But in this case, it's still with me a decade later, so I guess it worked!

(Anyone know if Empire Carpets is still in business?)

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. They are still in business

with the same jingle.

[Maddy McCall]

4. I love the jingle...I must be alone;-)

I like the animated commercials too. I truly am a sicko.

[GOPisEvil]

2. LOL!!! I used to see that commercial when I was watching Cubs games!

That was back in the mid-late '80s. Now that little jingle is in my head! :P

[Rabrrrrrr]

9. and Sunday afternoon mystery theater,

and the - I think it was Sunday morning - lone ranger, sargent preston, and two other old shows...

Gad, I hated that commercial, and hated WGN. Mostly because they always pre-empted real programming for the *@%^*@#*(@^#%&#$ Cubs games in the afternoons, like I ever f-ing cared about sports, when Gilligan's Island and other shows were supposed to be on. Sheesh.

[eyesroll]

3. They've expanded into WI

and with it, they are now:
800-588-2300 - Empire TODAY!.

The "800" is appended onto the front of the jingle. It sounds out of place to me (I grew up in the Chicago suburbs.)

Of course, the big question: Is Celosi-Ettleson Chevrolet still in business? (I'm sure I spelled that wrong.) What about Eagle Man? Or that wrecker service I can't remember that featured a mulleted man disgusted when his car door falls off?

[mark0rama]

6. They're all over the place now

I live in WI, but ironically, have never seen the commercial here. Just saw it 2 weeks ago when visiting NYC.

[XNASA]

10. "We're Hard to Find and Tough to Beat."

I haven't seen any C-E commercials lately. But I have seen the mullet dude with the beater within the last year or so.

[Doctor_J]

15. Chicago commercials

Eddelson still sells cars, w/o Cellozzi. Nick C is on a commercial for a Westmont Sports Bar, which concludes with "Where You Always Have More Fun", a take-off on C-E's old "Where You Always Save More Money".

Victory Auto Wreckers, featuring the mullet guy with the wide watch band, still advertises on Svengoolie on Saturday afternoon. That commercial must be 20 years old.

[Cadfael]

11. Celozzi and Ettleson parted company

a couple of years back

[Bunny]

5. It's all over the TV here in W. PA too

that jingle gets stuck in my head and drives me nuts. Then I start singing it and drive the kids and dogs nuts too!

[mark0rama]

7. When jingles work...

...they can work extremely well.

I'm not in the ad business, so I'm wondering: what is it about them that you typically dislike?

[FlashHarry]

12. Because they normally suck. Especially local ones.

The funny thing is, I'm a songwriter, too. (I should be getting my quarterly BMI check any day now.)

I don't know; maybe it's pathological--but I haven't used a jingle yet, and I don't plan on it any time soon. Just my feeling, however.

[mark0rama]

13. Because they normally suck

I think people like the Empire one exactly because it's so cheesy and bad - but I can see how, as an ad man, you don't necessarily want to go that route! I was just feeling out whether you had a specific marketing reason as to why they're bad.

"The funny thing is, I'm a songwriter, too."

And that's a perfectly good reason for disliking jingles. It can be unpleasant seeing something you care about - like songwriting - reduced to the lowest common denominator like that.

On edit: rearranged and clarified text a little.

[FlashHarry]

14. For every one that works

there's a hundred that don't. If I hear Mazda's "Zoom Zoom" or Siemens' "Spin the Globe" one more time...

[XNASA]

8. I was the Empire Carpet Man for Halloween once, back in the 80's.

I wore a chambray shirt, with Empire stenciled over the pocket and 588-2300 stenciled on the back. I had a fake mustache and big glasses and carried around a carpet swatch.

"Call Empire Today!"