2002 Pontiac Montana Commercial

The Pontiac Montana is a minivan that was sold by General Motors. Prior to the 1997 model year, it was known as Pontiac Trans Sport. In 1997, the Trans Sport added the Montana moniker as part of an available trim package. The package proved so popular the line was renamed Montana in 1998 for the US and 1999 for Canada. When the van was redesigned for 2005, the name was changed to Montana SV6. It was discontinued after the 2006 model year in the United States because of slow sales but continued to be sold in Canada and Mexico until 2009. Since their introduction, the Pontiac minivans were GM's most popular minivans among consumers in Canada.

1995 Buick Rivera Commercial

 

After a hiatus in 1994, the Riviera returned in 1995 with radical styling that departed from the previous generations' traditional image. A 205 hp (153 kW) naturally aspirated 3800 V6 was standard, with a supercharged version rated at 225 hp (168 kW) and 275 lb-ft (373 N⋅m) available as an option. Rivieras were now built-in Orion Township, Michigan, riding the same Cadillac-derived G platform as the 4-door Oldsmobile Aurora. The first of 41,422 Rivieras made in 1995 rolled off the assembly line on May 23, 1994.

In 1996, supercharged versions saw an increase in power to 240 hp (179 kW) and 280 lb·ft (380 N·m), as well as the 4T60E-HD transmission. 18,036 Rivieras were manufactured in 1996.

1997 saw suspension revisions, removing excess weight. An upgraded 4T65E-HD transmission featuring a larger 258 mm (10.2 in) torque converter and heavy-duty gearbox were added. 18,827 were made in 1997.

For 1998, the 240 hp (180 kW) supercharged V6 became standard. GM's OnStar service was added as an option, along with minor interior design changes and features including passenger heated seats. A total of 10,953 units were produced for 1998.

With sales of all coupes declining in the North American market, GM decided to discontinue the Riviera. 1999 was the car's last model year with production of 1,956 cars ceasing on November 25, 1998. The final 200 cars had special silver paint and trim and were denoted "Silver Arrow" models, a designation which hearkened back to several Silver Arrow show cars that had been built off Riviera bodies by Bill Mitchell.

Eighth-generation Rivieras received the most powerful V6 Buick engine since the Grand Nationals of the 1980s. The supercharged OHV V6 provided high torque and acceleration allowing 0 to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) in under 7 seconds and turning the 1⁄4 mile in 15.5 seconds. Supercharged Rivieras achieved a fuel efficiency figure of 18/27 (city/highway mpg).

Casino Rama Commercial 1998

 Casino Rama is a large casino, hotel, and entertainment complex located in the town of Rama, Ontario on the reserve land of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation. It is jointly owned by the Chippewas of Rama First Nation and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, with the operation of the casino contracted to Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited.

Casino Rama is Ontario's only First Nations "commercial casino" (as opposed to a lesser class, charity casino) and Canada's largest First Nations casino. The casino also includes restaurants, a hotel and spa, and an entertainment complex that regularly hosts ticketed shows.

Briggs & Stratton Commercial 1986

 

The company was Launched in 1908 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is now based in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Briggs & Stratton engines are commonly used on lawnmowers, pressure washers, electrical generators, go-karts, and a wide variety of other applications. Their original cast-iron engines were known for their durability, but the company's success was established following the development of lightweight aluminum engines in 1953. The aluminum engine was the perfect solution for the recently invented rotary lawnmower due to its lighter weight and lower cost.

The company started in 1908 as an informal partnership between Stephen Foster Briggs and Harold M. Stratton. S.F. Briggs was born in Watertown, South Dakota, and graduated from South Dakota State College ((SDSC) now South Dakota State University) in Brookings in 1907. The idea for his first product came from an upper-level engineering class project at SDSC. This first product was a six-cylinder, two-cycle engine, which Stephen Foster Briggs developed during his engineering courses at South Dakota State. After his graduation, he was eager to produce his engine and enter the rapidly expanding automobile industry. Bill Juneau, a coach at South Dakota State, knew of Briggs' ambition and the entrepreneurial interests of Harold M. Stratton, a successful grain merchant who had a farm next to Juneau's farm, so he introduced the two. In 1922, their fledgling company set a record in the automotive industry, selling the Briggs & Stratton Flyer (the "Red Bug") at record low prices of US$125-$150.

Eventually, Briggs and Stratton settled on manufacturing automotive components and small gasoline engines. Briggs purchased an engine patent from A.O. Smith Company and began powering early washing machines and reel mowers as well as many other types of equipment. The company went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1928.

During World War II, Briggs & Stratton produced generators for the war effort. Some pre-war engines were made with aluminum, which helped the company develop its expertise in using this material. This development, along with the post-war growth of 1950s suburbs (and lawns), helped secure Briggs & Stratton's successful growth throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

Stephen Briggs went on to purchase Evinrude and Johnson Outboards and start the Outboard Marine Corporation. Frederick P. Stratton Sr. (the son of Harold Stratton) served as Chairman of Briggs & Stratton until his death in 1962 (Harold also died that year). Frederick P. Stratton Jr. served as Chairman until his retirement in 2001.

In 1995, Briggs & Stratton sold the automotive component business. The resulting company is Strattec Security Corporation.

In 2000, the company acquired its consumer generator business from the Beacon Group and formed Briggs & Stratton Power Products. The Beacon Group had previously purchased the Consumer Products Division of Generac Corporation (now Generac Power Systems) in 1998. In 2005, the company added Simplicity Manufacturing Inc, and Snapper, Inc, to the Briggs & Stratton Power Products line. Murray, Inc, one of its largest customers, collapsed owing the company $40 million, and to minimize the loss Briggs & Stratton purchased the name, marketing rights and product designs of that company. In 2008, Briggs & Stratton announced it would be acquiring the Victa Lawn Care business from GUD Holdings Limited Australia for A$23 million.

On July 20, 2020, Briggs & Stratton filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Old Spice Commercial 2003

 Old Spice products were originally manufactured by the Shulton Company, founded in 1934 by William Lightfoot Schultz. A buyer at Bullock's in Los Angeles made Schultz aware of the emerging popularity of colonial-American style furniture, a trend spurred by the then-recent opening of Colonial Williamsburg. Shultz reasoned that an Early Americana-themed cosmetics line might also find favor. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York collection of early American objects provided a source of inspiration for packaging design; for the fragrance, Schultz was inspired by his mother's potpourri, and as a result, the first Old Spice product in 1937 was a woman's scent called Early American Old Spice. The product was received well and therefore was followed by Old Spice for men in 1938.

The men's products included shaving soap and aftershave lotion, marketed with a nautical theme. Sailing ships in particular were used for the brand's packaging. The original ships used on the packaging were the Grand Turk and the Friendship. Other ships used on Old Spice packaging include the John Wesley, Salem, Birmingham, Maria Teresa, Propontis, Recovery, Sooloo, Star of the West, Constitution, Java, United States, and Hamilton.

In the 1970s, Old Spice shifted from being a shaving brand to a fragrance brand by introducing signature scents like Old Spice Burley.

In June 1990, Procter & Gamble purchased the Old Spice fragrances, skincare and antiperspirant & deodorant brands from the Shulton Company. Throughout the 2000s, Procter & Gamble introduced many forms of deodorant, body washes, and body sprays in several scents under the Old Spice name.

In early 2008, the original Old Spice scent was repackaged as "Classic Scent", both in the aftershave and cologne versions. The white glass bottles gave way to plastic and the gray stoppers to red. Old Spice Classic shower gel was sold using the slogan "The original. If your grandfather hadn't worn it, you wouldn't exist."

Harvey's Restaurant Commercial 2002

 Harvey's is a fast-food restaurant chain operating in Canada, with locations in every province. It serves hamburgers, poutine, hot dogs, french fries, onion rings, and other traditional Canadian fast-food fare. The chain is owned by Recipe Unlimited (previously known as Cara Operations).

Harvey's is the fourth-largest burger chain in Canada. Opened in 1959, Harvey's is one of Canada's longest-standing Canadian-owned and operated restaurants. Harvey's is known for its grilled burgers and for providing customers with the choice of various toppings.

Citytv Electric Circus Halloween Promo 1998

 Like its American predecessors American Bandstand and Soul Train, Electric Circus was known for its flashy dancers. Many of these dancers became fan favorites in their own right. A couple of these dancers later graduated to hosting the show. Many of the dancers lived in the Greater Toronto Area and some regulars traveled from Niagara Falls, Montreal, and Buffalo, New York for the Friday evening show.

The show's original producer, Joel Goldberg, went on to produce many music videos and a few feature films. He took a minimalist approach to the set, using nothing more than a well-run Vari-Lite installation, camera work from videographers (including George Lagogianes), talented dancers and live performances. As a result, Goldberg created a show that highlighted the music and the dancers while throwing cutaways to videos. Guest artists performed live (or live-to-track), none lip-synched. After Goldberg moved on, the set became more elaborate, the dancers' costuming became choreographed, the quality of the dancing declined, and most of the performances were lip-synced, with the exception of the DJs, who mixed the breaks as well as a short feature each episode.

In 1988, some of the originally featured dancers included The WiZ, Tori G (also an editor for Citytv), WARP-1, The Hoody Boyz, Brenda C, Kenrick Pompey (aka The Cowboy), and Tyra J. Many of the dancers were regulars at "The Club at Richard's" in Mississauga, as well as working professionally in the "Go-Go" circuit. The WiZ (also the first asked to be on the show) was also a DJ and producer and created the first theme the show ever had, "The EC Rap," as well as a short audio "stinger" for the breaks.

In the summer of 1996, the show was completely re-imagined, with a new multi-camera film open directed by MuchMusic Creative Services producer Carl Armstrong. The series' original theme music, an instrumental of Narada Michael Walden's 1988 single "Divine Emotions," was replaced by a new show theme, "Hang On Here We Go!" (Theme to E.C). Almost a year after the new theme went on the air, and because of viewer popularity, a full-length version of the song was released under the name Jet Fuel and featured lead vocals by Aleah D'Kos and guest vocals by a gas mask-wearing (video) K-os. The song was included on the MuchDance 97 compilation CD (6X Canadian Platinum) and Pure Dance 3 (Canadian Platinum). The song was also released on 12" vinyl and CD single with various mixes and remixes. The song charted on dance radio and in clubs across Canada in the spring of 1998 and was performed live during Electric Circus at Canada's Wonderland in front of 50,000 people that summer. This music theme remained with the show until the last episode.

Fido Commercial 2002

 Fido Solutions Inc. is a Canadian cellular telephone service provider owned by Rogers Communications Canada. Although Fido's parent company, Rogers Communications, also operates another cellular service Rogers Wireless, Fido remains a separate entity and retains its own retail chain, customer service call centers, network servers, and CEO. Fido pioneered the concept of providing unlimited service in select Canadian cities. Fido was the first carrier in Canada to launch a GSM-based network and the first wireless service provider in North America to offer General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) on its network.

Fido's logo is a yellow doghouse. The name, "Fido," was suggested to Microcell Solutions, the first importer of GSM technology from Europe to Canada, on the recommendation of its marketing-communications agency at the time, BOS (Beauchesne, Ostiguy, Simard) of Montreal (now DentsuBos). The agency had been searching for a name that would appeal to both French- and English-speaking consumers. The brand name "Fido" inevitably led to the use of dogs in its commercials, which became the brand's informal trademark in TV advertising, starting in 1995. During the 2000s it ran ads where the narrator finished by catching a jumping dog and saying "regrettably, only from Fido". As of 2017, the tagline is "Go get it."

1994 Eagle Vision Commercial

 The Eagle Vision was a full-sized, front-wheel drive four-door sports sedan that was produced from 1992 to 1997. It was marketed by Eagle, replacing the AMC/Renault-designed Eagle Premier (from which the Vision was derived). The Eagle Vision was badged as the Chrysler Vision in Europe. The Vision debuted at the 1992 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. As one of the LH sedans, it was Automobile Magazine's Automobile of the Year in 1993, and ultimately the only Eagle model to be completely designed and built in-house by Chrysler.

The Vision sold around 105,000 units, from 1993 to 1997, and Chrysler was planning to continue it for the redesign of the LH cars for 1998. Some prototypes featured the Eagle logo, and Vision production continued into September 1997 to offer dealers with an adequate amount of 1997 models, until the introduction redesigned 1998 Vision. However, Chrysler made the decision to stop production of the Vision and Talon (Eagle's only other model by then) with the last unit built on September 5, 1997. On September 29, 1997, the automaker notified 2,340 U.S. and 337 Canadian dealers that the Eagle brand would be discontinued by the end of the 1998 model year.

The car that was planned to be the redesigned Vision, became the 1999 model year Chrysler 300M. It was released a year after the other redesigned LH cars in 1998.

CHFI Toronto with Teri Garr 1998

 Commercial for a local Toronto FM station as seen in the late 1990s with Teri Garr

Teri Ann Garr (born December 11, 1944) is a retired American actress, comedian, dancer, and singer. She frequently appeared in comedic roles throughout her career, which spans four decades and includes over 140 credits in film and television. Her accolades include an Academy Award nomination, a BAFTA Award nomination, and a National Board of Review Award.

Born in Lakewood, Ohio, Garr was raised in North Hollywood, California. She is the third child of a comedic-actor father and a studio customer mother. In her youth, Garr trained in ballet and other forms of dance. She began her career as a teenager with small roles in television and film in the early 1960s, including appearances as a dancer in six Elvis Presley musicals. After spending two years attending college, Garr left Los Angeles, and studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York City.

Her self-described "big break" as an actress was landing a role in the Star Trek episode "Assignment: Earth", after which she said, "I finally started to get real acting work."

Garr had a supporting role in Francis Ford Coppola's thriller The Conversation (1974) before having her film breakthrough as Inga in Young Frankenstein (1974). In 1977, she was cast in a high-profile role in Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Garr continued to appear in various high-profile roles throughout the 1980s, including supporting parts in the comedies Tootsie (1982), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role of Sandy Lester, and then appearing opposite Michael Keaton the next year in Mr. Mom (1983). She reunited with Coppola the same year, appearing in his musical One from the Heart (1982), followed by a supporting part in Martin Scorsese's black comedy After Hours (1985).

Her quick banter led to Garr being a regular guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman. In the 1990s, she appeared in two films by Robert Altman: The Player (1992) and Prêt-à-Porter (1994), followed by supporting roles in Michael (1996) and Ghost World (2001). She also appeared on television as Phoebe Abbott in three episodes of the sitcom Friends (1997–98). In 2002, Garr announced that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, the symptoms of which had affected her ability to perform beginning in the 1990s

M&M's Commercial 2003

 

Early black-and-white adverts for the candy in 1954 featured two talking, anthropomorphic M&M characters—one plain and one peanut—diving into a swimming pool full of chocolate.

The first incarnation of the characters in CGI was a 1994 celebrity campaign that had the characters interacting with celebrities on which M&Ms candy color is their favorite. This campaign was created by Blue Sky Studios. Concurrent with 1995's blue M&M campaign, M&M's introduced second computer-animated "spokescandies" in their television commercials. The depiction and campaign of the M&M's were made by Will Vinton in 1995. Vinton previously created the clay-animated California Raisins in 1986. Around the time he worked on CGI projects, he made the depiction of the M&M's as more mature than most food mascots. These include the team of the cynical and sardonic Red (originally voiced by Jon Lovitz, thereafter Billy West) who is the mascot for milk chocolate, peanut butter, and crispy M&M's, and the happy and gullible Yellow (originally voiced by John Goodman, thereafter J.K. Simmons), who is the mascot for Peanut M&M's (he was originally known as "Peanut" when first introduced). Other mascots include the "cool one", Blue (voiced by Robb Pruitt) who is the mascot for Almond M&M's; the seductive Green (her personality is a reference to the 1970s urban legend that green M&Ms were aphrodisiacs) (voiced by Cree Summer and Larissa Murray), who is the mascot for both Dark Chocolate Mint and Peanut Butter M&M's, and the slightly neurotic Orange (voiced by Eric Kirchberger), who was introduced when Crispy M&M's were first released and returned when Pretzel M&M's debuted in 2010. Orange, upon his return, was joined by the second non-M&M mascot, Pretzel Guy, who "supports" him and offers helpful advice as he hates the idea of having a pretzel put inside his body.

Other mascots that were introduced, but no longer used, are Almond, the original green guy; Orange, a female peanut character; Chocolate Bar (voiced by Phil Hartman), the first non-M&M character that always gets foiled or outdone by Red and Yellow by being melted, as M&M's do not melt; and the Swarmees for M&M's Minis candies, which are portrayed as destructive yet crafty troublemakers whom Red and Yellow are always trying unsuccessfully to contain.

Female M&M's mascots were introduced in 1995. Green was the Milk Chocolate mascot and Tan was the Peanut. Marketing discontinued Tan when they introduced the then-new Blue mascot. Green was the only female M&M's mascot from her introduction in 1995 until 2012 when M&M's unveiled a new additional spokescandy, Ms. Brown (voiced by Miss America 1984, Vanessa Williams), the "Chief Chocolate Officer". She made her debut in a Super Bowl XLVI advertisement, where several people at a party assume she is naked because her shell is the same color as her insides, which causes Red to remove his outer shell saying "So, it's that kind of party", and start dancing to the LMFAO song "Sexy And I Know It."