As Cairo is to fine Mexican cuisine, so Houston has long been to the fine art of local TV ads.

A few more gems from our proud history have popped up in the past few months. (We examined some others here a while back, and since Michael Pollack still reigns as the king, we dedicated a whole post to him here):

Away we go through the '80s, in rough chronological order....



Note the graphic manages to misspell Elvin's name. While the quality control may have been shoddy, this spot was devastatingly effective. I still think of this ad every time I ride a Yellow Cab. Or maybe not -- I have never applied for a job there. Maybe that's why I've never been able to brag to anybody that "I live on Hays Street," or sink a backwards 40 foot shot either.

 

Thunderbolt Transmission, most famous local jingle ever, "yee-haw back in your motor and transmission," etc.

Yeah, you may have an impressive entryway and a custom-finished kitchen, but where are the stainless steel appliances and granite countertops? You call that livin'? Though I have to say, the Oil Bust price was nice for tract homes, Gemcraft or not.

 

The Post's fashion maven Judy Lunn tells it like it was in the glory days of big glasses and even bigger hair.



If there's anything sadder than a dead mall, it might just be a commercial for a dead mall. And this jingle is downright excruciating.

- John Nova Lomax