Oh, the memories! The Ads that are almost as nostalgic as the music

They say the early teens is when we begin to shape our identity using environmental factors around us; the sports we played, the friends around us, the music we listened to, and yes those commercials that played when we listened to the radio or watched what was then very limited TV broadcasts.

There are songs that - the moment we hear them - teleports us back to a specific moment in our lives. 

The definition of nostalgia is"an affectionate feeling you have for the past, especially for a particularly happy time. He might be influenced by nostalgia for his happy youth."

The same can be said of the adverts of the time.

Read more: Gordon Graham: "Let's make the World a better place!"

Call me nostalgic but the ads in the 1980s seemed to be more creative and 'smart' than what we see or hear now.

Here are a few examples of adverts that remind me of the younger me back in my teenage years:

• "It's not inside it's on top!" The Cremora advert features the very frustrated husband trying to make his favourite cup of coffee but he just can't find his Cremora, searching through every shelf of the fridge till eventually, he cries out 'Babe there's no Cremora in the refrigerator' to which she replies with those iconic words...
• "Your 2-year guarantee store!" the Morkels furniture store advert was an odd one to remember as essentially it was about household furniture, not exactly something that a teenager would be interested in, but that very business-like woman sitting on the couch telling me that I can buy from Morkels with complete faith as the are, MY two-year guarantee store was a winner in the halls of my memory.
• "They taste so good 'cause they eat so good!" The Farmer Brown chicken advert with the very generalised looking farmer lovingly feeding his chickens, looking more like a father than someone who would soon be sending them off to become someone's dinner is an advert that just worked, it was wholesome and familiar and stuck with me.
• "You're gonna have to grow some more kid" features a Daddy Hippo with his young son and a massive 'chomp' chocolate bar that the little guy just can't get his mouth around, eventually, the Dad gobbles up the treat leaving the youngster sobbing, don't ask me why but this one just makes me feel like a kid again.

Read more: Let's take this show on the road: "I love radio!" - Gordon Graham

• "Hey, you kicked sand in my face!" This was all about the underdog who gets bullied by the 'muscle' bound jock on the beach and all it takes was some black cat peanut butter packed with protein for him to sort out the bully and get the girl, ohh if life was that simple
• "I remember the days of my life" The emotive advert from VW featuring an older gent looking at his beetle and remembering his first car, first love and all the subsequent moments and cars, well if that didn't tug at the heart nothing would. While on the subject of VW, who could forget David Kramer and his signature style telling us that the Volksie Bus was just the best thing ever?
• "What kind of a Mac are you?" Cadbury's lunch bar the much more munch bar - enough said.
• "Nothing tastes like Fresca." This luminous orange drink was not exactly the tastiest, but the advert was a complete winner, why? 'Cause nothing tastes like Fresca.
• "Dr Livingstone I presume?" Ingram's Camphor Cream was made for hands feet and elbows, it sure was a cure-all, and perhaps it was...

What advert do you most remember? 

Add to this list and let's relive years gone by with the adverts that were such a massive part of our lives. 

Oh, and whilst we're at it, you can listen to those classic hits from the 60s, 70s and 80s - East Coast Gold

Main image attribution: YouTube/VW