Remember the 80s as you will, but there was undoubtedly a level of cheesiness to everything related to this decade that makes us feel just a tiny bit nostalgic when recalling it. Sure, the fashion sense was questionable at best, but at least the music went down in history. There’s another category of things that perfectly fit into the “a bit weird and cheesy, but definitely memorable” area – commercials. Ah, yes, there’s nothing quite like 80s commercials and how much second-hand embarrassment they’re making us feel now.
Nostalgic 80s Commercials
If you’re ready to go down memory lane, let’s unlock this Pandora’s Box of nostalgic cringeness and recall Seven 80s Commercials For Toys That Scream Nostalgia.
#1 My Buddy & Kid Sister
On second thought, we don’t want to start this list off as too strong, so let’s settle for something that follows a formula we can easily find even in present-day publicity. The commercial for My Buddy & Kid Sister showcased kids happily pedaling and playing with their new doll pals. Just because there’s nothing endearingly weird about all of this, it’s one of the 80s commercials that really blows up nostalgia levels.
#2 Teddy Ruxpin
Teddy Ruxpin is the storytelling bear, as we can all remember from all the 80s commercials. He was one of the best-selling toys at the time and, hey, there’s a good reason. Not many talking toys existed around the market at that time. The commercial involves a classroom getting bored out of their minds over Teddy’s existence until he starts talking and shuts them all off. Hell yeah!
#3 Lite-Brite
Can we just have Lite-Brites again, please? Kids had the chance to test their creativity and imagination with this surprisingly inventive and technologically advanced toys. By sticking pegs in a board, they were able to create glowing images and pictures. Of course, the marketing campaign needs a serious reboot. The theme song just oozes 80s commercials.
#4 Wuzzles
Toys around that time really didn’t care much about, well, most things, did they? Hasbro Softies had the courage to distribute to stores a bunch of animal mutant hybrids and nobody complained about it. Ever wanted a lion-bumblebee chimera? Fear not, get a Wuzzle! Also, this commercial suffers from a prominent issue of commercials from the 80s – the completely dull background. Why is it so reminiscent of the graduation photos from the same decade?
#5 My Little Pony
Yes, yes, sorry we need to go down this rabbit’s hole. Believe it or not, My Little Pony was nothing but a harmless toy in the beginning. But regardless of its evolution, the fact that it’s become such a television and cartoon empire just means that the toys have become timeless. How many toys can be proud that they were popular in the 80s and in the 2010’s? Also, someone needs to get that theme song out of our heads immediately.
#6 Popples
Popples are pals that pop out of pockets. How do we know that? Because the commercial kindly likes to obsessively remind us of it, just like most commercials from the 80s liked to do. We’re no toy designers, but doesn’t it kind of sound like a bad idea to have a plushie that turns into a ball? The last thing you’d need is for a bunch of kids to soccer kick the furry sucker into the stratosphere.
#7 Pogo Ball
Before we had Pokemon GO, we had the Pogo Ball. Ironically, there’s a “po” and a “go” in that name too so, is it a coincidence? We think not. Anyway, this is what kids back in the day did to get out of the house. Well, it’s not as fun as trying to hunt around a Farfetch’d on your last day of vacation in Hong Kong, but it’s not as frustrating either.