Mass marketing reached its peak in the 90s and gave us classic, memorable TV commercials: Planet Money: NPR

Justin Sullivan/Picture Post/Helton Archive/Getty Images

Justin Sullivan/Picture Post/Helton Archive/Getty Images

Maybe she was born with it, or maybe it’s __________.

The best feeling when waking up is having _______ in your cup!

get____?

If you can identify these brands based on their slogans alone, then you are most likely a 90s kid.

The 90s were arguably the peak of advertisers trying to impress us for decades. They got us singing their jingles and saying their slogans. This type of advertising is called branding or image marketing. And in the 21st century, it has become much harder to pull off.

On today’s show, we look back at the history of advertising and two obscure products that revolutionized the advertising industry.

The show is hosted by Sarah Gonzalez and Kenny Malone. It is produced by James Sneed and curated by James Willets. Sierra Juarez fact-checks and Molly Messick edits. Alex Goldmark is the executive producer of Planet Money.

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Music: Source Audio – “Receptor,” “Sedate,” and “Move Like Molasses”