Can You Name the '80s Product From the Slogan?

Amanda Monell

Image: RetroStatic

About This Quiz

Many of us would love to drive a Delorean (with functioning flux capacitor) back to the 1980s, because it felt like things were a lot simpler back then. The Internet was only available to government agencies, using a telephone (a cordless one if you were lucky) was the best way to get a hold of friends and family, and going out into the summer sun was encouraged. Compared to today, there was a wide-eyed innocence that urged people to explore new possibilities.

With such creative energy flowing around the 1980s, it should be no surprise that innovations were popping up everywhere. Are you a gamer? Nintendo's main man Mario (who was originally named Jumpman) made his first appearance, not in his franchise, but in Donkey Kong, where he was yet again rescuing damsels in distress. Video game consoles became a household must have, and many of the games had immersive storylines, creating the foundations of today's favorite gaming titles. 

Music lovers got a treat as well: they could abandon their 8-track and cassette tapes in favor of compact discs, which were harder to break and provided clearer audio quality. We've gathered some of the most memorable products from the 1980s along with their commercial slogans. Do you think you can match them up correctly? One way to find out and that's to put on your favorite jam and take this quiz.

Which pizza franchise urged diners to "Avoid the Noid"?

The influence of the Noid went beyond pizza. Two separate video games issued by Capcom were created and mini figurines were toys for kids to play with. If you can't get enough of the Noid, a collector's toy was made by Funko Pop.

Which drink's slogan was "I believe in ______ ______ because I believe in me."?

One of Crystal Light's ads featured Linda Evans, a television star on the original "Dynasty." Her character's name? Krystal Carrington. "Dynasty" was later reborn as a series on the CW, with Cristal's role being played by Nathalie Kelley and Ana Brenda Contreras.

Which fast food chain had an ad campaign asking their competition "where's the beef" in their burgers?

Born in 1902, Clara Peller came across her fame at a later stage in her life. At the age of 81, this former manicurist became known as the character behind Wendy's now iconic ad campaign. After ordering a cheeseburger from an unnamed chain, she'd ask, "Where's the beef?"

Which video game console advertised that when used, you would be "Playing with Power"?

Back in the 1980s, if you were stumped on a game, you could do one of two things. You could buy a Game Genie, which would apply codes to your favorite games to benefit players. The other was to purchase Nintendo's "Nintendo Power," a magazine that provided strategies, tips, and walk-thrus.

Which fast food chain touted their newest packaging innovation by telling their consumers "We Found a Way to Keep the Lettuce and Tomato Cool and the Quarter Pound of Beef Hot"?

When the McDLT hit the market in 1984, people were impressed with the side by side containers made of styrofoam. This product was discontinued in 1991 when McDonald's started using more environmentally friendly packaging.

Which soda had the slogan "Can't beat the feeling!" in the late 1980s?

Not every Coca-Cola product is a success. In 1985, Coca-Cola decided to change their signature formula to something sweeter to compete with Pepsi. Coke II, or New Coke, ended being pulled off the shelves shortly after its release due to poor sales.

Which sports drink called itself a "thirst aid"?

In 1965, University of Florida's football coach Dwayne Douglas started to notice that his players were losing weight and suffering from heat stroke. After joining forces with Dr. Robert Cade, Gatorade was born, which helped combat these symptoms. The University of Florida's mascot is the alligator.

Which action figure called itself "A Real American Hero"?

What do G.I. Joe and Iron Man have in common? After a hiatus during the 1970s, Joe needed a product revamp. What did Hasbro do? They teamed up with Marvel, who made 155 comic books that were released monthly. This publication added depth to the figures and provided storylines for the cartoon series.

Which doll marketed prided itself as being "Truly Outrageous"?

When she first was released, Jem had some pretty steep competition: Barbie. With a cartoon to further advertise the toy, Mattel attempted to cash in on the girl band theme by creating Barbie & the Rockers. Mattel had an animated short to feature the dolls, "Barbie and the Rockers: Out of this World."

This soft drink encouraged consumers to "Dew It Country Cool." What drink was it?

If you're a Mountain Dew connoisseur taking a trip abroad, you may not be able to find your favorite soft drink. Why? Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is put into each can. This flame retardant is used to keep the citrus flavors from floating to the top and has been banned in Europe and Japan.

Which trashbag urged users not to "Don't send a Wimpy bag to do a ____ job."?

In the 1980s, Hefty coupled the "Don't send a Wimpy bag to do a Hefty job." slogan with a song illustrating how poorly wimpy garbage bags worked by making them explode in various situations. This proved to be true for many of us because this brand is still around today.

Which soda brand boasted that it was "the choice of a new generation"?

Pepsi's 1984 Choice of a New Generation campaign launched with a performance by pop icon Michael Jackson. Unfortunately, during the shoot for the ad, Jackson danced too close to a pyrotechnics display, causing his hair and coat to catch fire. He suffered from second-degree burns to his scalp.

Which lotion had the ambiguous message of being "so very"?

Keri moisturizers were a cheap way to get your spa on in the 1980s. It came in two different formats: a moisturizing lotion and a bath bar. Ideally, you'd use both, however, if you opted to stick with only the lotion it was ideal to use immediately after a shower or bath.

In the 1980s, hairspray was essential to anyone's look. Which brand encouraged others to "feel the difference"?

Back in the 1980s, most hairsprays left hair feeling crunchy and stiff. This may have been accounted to the amount of the product that was applied. Mink marketed that the after the product was used that the hair would still feel natural. Mink is still around today: it's been rebranded to Mink Difference.

Which watch brand wanted consumers to "switch to ____"?

With their funky designs, it would only make sense that Swatch Watches became a household name. On top of which, the traditional way to wear them was in pairs. Today, the brand is still around, giving consumers options including the ability to customize their watches.

Which brand's jeans's symbol was a horse's head and advertised a "_______ look"?

The Jordache Look was something that attracted many customers; however, the minute Guess jeans debuted, sales decreased significantly. More recently, Jordache's denim has been spotted in Walmart and in 2015, a designer line called Jordache Look debuted with higher prices.

Which deodorant advertised that it was "strong enough for a man...but made for a woman"?

Even though the "strong enough for a man...but made for a woman" slogan started in 1972, it continued into the 1980s, where it became the number one anti-persperant used in the U.S.

Which bath product encouraged you to "lose yourself in luxury"?

In the 1970s, Calgon created one of the most relateable slogans. The Calgon, Take Me Away Campaign had ads that showed the stresses of everyday situations: stresses from work, children, traffic, and pets were featured.

Which perfume was a "positively electric fragrance"?

When it comes to marketing, Atlantic Records came up with a brilliant idea. Pop princess Debbie Gibson was about to drop her newest album and to help get the word out, they partnered with Revlon who created the Electric Youth perfume.

This fragrance reminded brides that it was their "moment to be beautiful." Which one was it?

If you were to look at older Estee Lauder ads, you'd see some familiar faces. Paulina Porizkova was the Estee Lauder girl from 1988 until 1994 and Elizabeth Hurley and Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow are some of the current models for the brand.

Which breakfast cereal was known as a "honey of an o"?

In 2017, Cheerios retired their mascot of over 30 years, Buzz, to send a message: bees are losing their habitats due to climate change, overuse of chemicals, and pesticides. During the #Savethebees campaign, Cheerios gave away 100 million wildflower seeds in hopes that consumers would plant them.

Which sewer-dwelling superheroes are the "Heroes in a Half Shell"?

With a catchy slogan and unique storyline, these toys flooded the market in the late 1980s. In addition to having their own slogan, Pizza Hut cashed in on their popularity as well. The turtles' favorite food was pizza, which made it a perfect fit.

Which of these brands featured Fred the Baker, who proclaimed that it was "Time to make the donuts"?

Michael Vale, the actor behind Fred the Baker, starred in over 1300 commercials, 100 of which were for Dunkin' Donuts. He starred in a few Broadway flops, one titled "The Egg" which only lasted eight performances.

Which battery features a pink bunny that "keeps going and going"?

The pink drum playing Energizer Bunny has been one of the best marketing devices to date. In 2016, it was discovered that about 95% recognized the rabbit and the product it advertised.

Which brand of mustard is considered "one of life's finer pleasures"?

With two snooty passengers in Rolls Royces, Grey Poupon's mustard became known for its sophisticated taste. Of course this soon made it ripe for parody. In the 1991 film "Wayne's World," Wayne ends up pulling up next to a Rolls Royce and asking for a jar of the high-end mustard.

Which video tape brand asked "is it live or is it ______"?

When the "Is it Live, Or is it Memorex" ads first aired, they used the iconic jazz performer Ella Fitzgerald, who shattered a wineglass with her voice. For the VHS tapes, they used the same slogan, however, instead of the audio being highlighted, Memorex featured the clear recording of the tape.

Which pizza was known for "makin' it great"?

During the 1980s, Pizza Hut had a reward system that was given to kids for reading books. The Book It! program rewarded children with coupons for personal pan pizzas for reading a certain amount of books. It still is a promotion used today.

Which soap flaunted that it was "99 44/100% pure"?

When it first was distributed in the late 19th century, Ivory soap had a unique feature: their soap floated. This proved very useful at the time because a majority of people took baths and instead of digging through dirty water for their soap, it was floating beside them.

What soap bar didn't want users to "don't cope without it"?

With its gritty texture, Lava soap was the perfect brand of soap to use if you got hefty stains on your hands. In addition to the usual soap ingredients, Lava soap had pumice, which helped scrub the grime off of hands.

Which wine cooler told their drinkers that "this is where the fun starts"?

If you're looking to see an amazing 1980s commercial, check out the Seagram's Wine Coolers ad featuring Bruce Willis. This was about the time when "Moonlighting" was in its prime and right before "Die Hard" was released.

Which candy bragged that it had "big big chocolate"?

Ever wonder how the Hershey Kiss got its name? Many hypothesize it is because of the sound the machine makes when liquid chocolate hits the conveyor belt. To top that, when the machine starts to distribute the chocolate, it looks like it's kissing the belt. Pretty cute, huh?

What was one of the candy bars understood that "sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't"?

When it came to marketing, Peter Paul Cadbury did something ingenious with the Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut, Sometimes You Don't Campaign. Instead of marketing one candy bar, they marketed two: Almond Joy (which had nuts) and Mounds (which didn't have nuts).

Which cereal promoted that its two main ingredients were "So happy together"?

For the So Happy Together Campaign, General Mills revamped the lyrics to the 1967 Turtles song "Happy Together." It didn't make it onto the U.S. charts, however, it lasted in the number 18 position on the London charts for nine weeks.

Which candy encouraged eating it to "taste the rainbow!"?

Even though it started in the late 1970s, the Taste the Rainbow! campaign continues to this day. Some of the more current ads included a shower made of Skittles, someone with Skittles teeth, and a poor guy with what appeared to be zits made of Skittles.

Which beer featured two different teams contesting whether it "tasted great" or was "less filling"?

Miller Lite became one of the first accepted light beers to infiltrate the market. In addition to drinkers bickering over whether the beer was popular because it tasted great or it was less filling, there were several former athletes who bickered over the topic.

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