Vintage Ads

Grand Champions were a line of toy horses which sadly rode off into the sunset many years ago! They were produced from about 1988 to 2008.

The horses were about the same size as a Breyer Traditional size horse. They were definitely more on the "toy" side of things, but they were so wonderful in their toyness. They had rooted manes and tails for you to brush and braid and loads of accessories. Unlike many toy horses, the Grand Champions and their accessories were on the realistic side of things as opposed to being pink, so they were for any horse-loving kid! Amongst model horse collectors, these horses are still loved by their fans :-)

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A recent Twitter thread reminded me of how...intriguing 90s video games ads were.

I have no idea where this style of design came from, just that I forgot it used to be prominent!

Growing up in Edmonton, my little child brain was easily tricked by these low-budget commercials for Wild Rapids, a now defunct waterslide park in Sylvan Lake, Alberta. Located halfway between Edmonton and Calgary, Wild Rapids was hugely popular. It opened in 1982 and closed in 2016. According to Wikipedia it was one of five waterslide parks at the time.

I never got to ride the rapids despite it's proximity to home. Probably like most things, it was more work for my parents than it appeared.

Some vintage ads survive!

CW: This ad has a cringey Japanese stereotype as it advertises the Hari Kari slide:

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This ad has a cringey use of rap:

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This ad has a cringey use of vocal effects :-D

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Laura Secord is a noted Canadian confectioner and the company behind these tasty puddings with a very memorable jingle. It used to come in a metal can before it came in a plastic cup.

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I can't tell if it was marketed in the US under the Jell-O named brand or not after finding the commercial below. I haven't seen it on the shelf for years, so I assume it's no longer made. The only one I can find are Hunt's Snack Packs and they seem super cheap :S

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These 1990s ads are one of many featuring a Canadian in the US who doesn't forget his roots.

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In case you're not familiar, this is a classic hockey fight move at the end.

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Canadians often define themselves by what they're not, which is why the joke here works so well if you're Canadian :-D

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