Drinking game: Keeping track of the Hershey's Kisses "We Wish You a Merry Xmas"

[UTUSN]

Last edited Mon Nov 27, 2017, 11:13 AM - Edit history (1)

In the last couple of days my count is roughly up to ten. After all these years (how many?) it's still not that annoying, retains a residue of cuteness. But we've got 30 days to go!1

[3catwoman3]

1. As a handbell ringer, I find this...

...ad completely delightful, and hope they run it forever.

[UTUSN]

3. I collect handbells, mostly brass, all metal, mostly 3", totalling over 50

Started out from nostalgia for Navy traditions, when enough time had passed to forget the downsides. Every ship (and land installation for that matter) has its ship's bell. About ten are in the 7" range. The outside gate has a rooster. One big BIG ranch bell hung in a tree.

But my bells are mostly silent. I learned that they have very specific uses and meanings that makes me chary in ringing them. For example, yours are for PERFORMING in a venue.

My bells aren't specific. Once I was showing a friend around and rang the big bell. The next door neighbor dude came FRANTICALLY, FRENZIED running from around the corner of his house, eyes popping out of his head. So-o...

Then in earlier days I thought it was cute to take one of my little bells to Happy Hour. The server was a recent immigrant. She tended to hang out at the other end of the bar with the customers who were buying her drinks (yes, that kind of dive). So I rang my bell. She came with my beer, and I noticed a FIERCE, FLASHING in her eyes. It all happened again. This time she politely gave me an explanation and a warning. She said, "In my country they use bells in the schools to call us into class. I hated school, and I hate bells. So I'm asking you not to ring that bell." Silly me, I didn't take it that seriously, although I was not going to ring it again. But an old man came in next to me and was waiting and waiting for her to serve him. I said to him, "Ring this bell." So he did. She DASHED over to ME and was about to JUMP OVER THE BAR and said, "I will STRANGLE you if you ring that damned thing again!1"

So I got the message at that point.

Some time afterward I was in a dime store that was empty of customers and had only one employee who was at the back. I found something and went to the front counter that had one of those hotel desk bells. The employee eventually noticed me and rushed to the front and said, "Sir, why didn't you ring the bell?!1" I said, it's a long story...

[UTUSN]

2. 1989. Longest running commercial.

***************QUOTE*************

http://blog.hersheyarchives.org/tag/tv-commercial/

Ringing in the Holidays: Hershey’s Kisses Chocolates

In 1989 John Dunn was Hershey Chocolate brands manager for Kisses. Hershey was working on a new marketing campaign for Kisses , sometimes referred to as the Kisses “whimsy” campaign. Working with Ogilvy Mather, a series of animated Kisses commercials were planned utilizing tabletop stop-motion animation and CG product photography.

Ogilvy Mather was the agency of record for the Hershey’s Kisses brand and David Apicella, was the Creative Director who discovered and contracted the production company, Colossal Pictures in San Francisco to produce the commercials. Carl Willat served as Director for the commercials, and he and Gordon Clark creatively performed the animation that brought this campaign to life.

John Dunn traveled to San Francisco to oversee the development of the commercials. John remembered that there was still time left when the planned Kisses commercials were completed and he asked Carl Willat and Gordon Clark to develop a holiday commercial for Kisses. Even though he didn’t have authorization to create this commercial, John felt confident that he could sell it to his boss.
The creative idea of Kisses performing as hand bells in a bell-choir fashion was developed to play “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”.

To reinforce the whimsy and innocence of the brand identity, John suggested the idea of having one of the Kisses franticly ringing at the end of the commercial where the Kiss expresses great relief by wiping its brow with the plume when the song concluded.

The commercial quickly became an iconic success. It has aired each holiday season since 1989, “ringing” in the holiday season of good cheer. It has become the longest running Hershey’s product commercial.

************UNQUOTE************

[Beartracks]

4. Thanks for that! Saved me a trip to Google.

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[UTUSN]

5. Welcome!1

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. Thank you for posting this, my dear UTUSN!

I love it!

It's been decades since I first saw it and since we really don't watch commercial TV any more, I haven't seen it recently either.

It's very charming for sure.