Friday's Favorite Advertising Movie

By: Thad Tichenor
Senior Art Director

Okay, it’s Friday again, and my turn to toss in a vote for best movie with an advertising element.

Since the 1960s, the number of videos, movies and TV shows referencing agency life has grown dramatically. We’ve all witnessed the cliché scene with the sneaker-clad, jingle-writing ad team. Who did it the best? I can’t really say, but there is one movie that stood out in my mind as the first to truly capture the cheesy stereotypes we all know today.

“Mr. Mom” (1983), featuring Micheal Keaton and Teri Garr, shows what happens when a hard-working, blue collar dad loses his job. A bet with his wife about who will land a job first puts him in an apron and her in a business suit.
Garr’s character, goes from stay-at-home Mom, to ad executive overnight and she’s instantly introduced to the fast-paced agency lifestyle.

The scene kicks off in the agency as she’s ushered into a smoky boardroom. A team of frustrated creatives crowd around their sketches to sell their ideas for Schooner Tuna to the boss. Ads like “Schooner Tuna – Dive into it”, with a cutely rendered drawing of a mermaid at the bottom, litter the walls.

The creative director, of course, hates every suggestion, but wants to hear what the newbie thinks. Garr, knowing only what she’s learned as a stay-at-home mom, let’s them know what the real buyers of the tuna (moms) think of the product. As you might expect, they love it, and she’s in.

So, apart from the very funny antics of Michael Keaton taking on the responsibilities a soccer mom, the work life of Garr’s character is equally as funny if you have any knowledge of the ad industry. It’s all a little far fetched, but we know there’s a little truth hidden there as well.