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Holy cow! History — The original influencers? Mr. Whipple, Mrs. Olson and the Golden Age of TV commercials

From 1960 to 1980, brands’ spokescharacters fueled American shoppers’ purchases with 30-second ads

OPINION — Once upon a time, American consumers took advice from a little man floating inside a toilet bowl.

No, really! Ask your parents. They’ll remember. There’s even a name for it — the Golden Age of TV commercials. From 1960 through 1980, 30-second ads built three television network empires, influenced shoppers’ purchases and kept us entertained.

One genre stood out from all the others: spokescharacter campaigns.

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