Yesterday’s post #200 was another milestone for this blog.  I pledged from the start to post at least one article a day about my transition into retirement.  Some of those posts have drifted off into sports and pets, but each tries to capture the experience of keeping busy and relevant without holding down a job.  I got off to a slow start, achieving the 100 milestone (See Post #100) on May 31st, while only averaging about 20 a month since my December 31 retirement date..  I then went to the other extreme, averaging 50 articles over the last two months.  I enjoy writing, but I also don’t want to burn myself out, so I hope to catch up to and maintain that One-A-Day pace.

I can’t mention “One-A-Day,” without thinking about my dad.  He worked for Miles Laboratories, makers of One-A-Day multiple vitamins, Chocks, Bactine and Alka-Seltzer, to name a few of their most popular brands.  “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is!”  The world headquarters, at the time, was located in my hometown of Elkhart, Indiana.  One of the job perks was the company store, where employees could stock up on these and other items.  Every once in a while, he’d bring home some test products.  One of those was a headache remedy called Focus that was very effective, but never launched nationally, due to the high cost of market entry.  Ironically, the company was eventually bought by A.G. Bayer Corporation, and perhaps the Focus formula was incorporated into Bayer Aspirin, the market leader at the time.  Alka-Seltzer was heavily marketed, with the animated character, Speedy.  A badly faded Speedy Alka-Seltzer piggy-bank sits on my office shelves next to some of my dad’s service pins of 15, 20, 25, and 30 years.  There was a later television campaign, “No matter what shape your stomach is in,” and featured a jingle done by a band called The Meatballs.  I wish I still had the vinyl album that he brought home for me, featuring that catchy tune.  Because of the merger with A.G, Bayer, my dad was able to take early retirement at age 57.  He struggled in retirement, always looking for something to keep him busy, so this became a big concern to me as I approached leaving the job market.  He had no hobbies other than reading and doing crossword puzzles.  I, at least, have my writing to keep me entertained.

I think that it was these Miles products that peaked my interest in advertising.  One of my dad’s best friends was the marketing liaison between the company and its advertising agencies. The very first of these agencies was Wade Advertising in nearby Chicago.  The brand was launched with a print campaign in 1917, inviting people to get a free sample at their local drugstore.  This eventually led to radio in 1932 on WLS (World’s Largest Store) and a sponsorship of “Saturday Night Barn Dance.”   The tagline, “For prompt, pleasant relief” was used to establish the Alka-Seltzer brand.  Miles was the sixteenth rated national radio sponsor by 1939, with catchy slogans like “Be wise – Alkalize with Alka-Seltzer!”  Radio also helped establish the unique sound of the effervescent tablets – “Listen to it fizz!”  By the mid-1950s, the agency had creatively evolved “Action in a Glass!” into the more memorable, “Relief is just a swallow away!”  Red-headed, Speedy Alka-Seltzer was born the same year I was, 1951, and was a key in becoming the top commercial of the that decade.

The 47-year relationship with Wade Advertising ended in 1964,  in favor of Madison Avenue based Jack Tinker and Partners.  Wade quickly went out of business.  Tinker developed the iconic “Stomachs Montage,” campaign, and sales purportedly increased 64% compared to the previous year.  “Alka-Seltzer on the rocks” soon followed, and after a  migration of creative talent,  the account soon shifted to Doyle Dane Bernbach in 1969.  The new Alka-Seltzer Plus was then launched as competition in the antacid category increased.  Award-winning, humorous TV campaigns like “Groom’s First Meal” and “Mama Mia,” plus the “spicy-meatball” catch-phrase, became popular but apparently did not drive sales, so Wells, Rich, Greene became the agency of record. Partner Mary Wells was formerly with Tinker, and influenced the need to change the creative approach.  “Personalities,” “Try it, you’ll like it” and “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!” became pop culture favorites through her direction.

In order to remain competitive, Alka-Seltzer Plus eventually extended  into Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Medication, and “Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz” could relieve both headaches and stuffiness due to colds.  By this time, 1978, the German-based A.G. Bayer Corporation had taken control of the company, and my dad and his marketing buddy, among many others,  were shown the door with full benefits.  He was able to live comfortably for another 36 years, thanks to his association with Miles Laboratories,  His career took him all over the world, and gave me every educational opportunity to achieve my own success.  Selling creative ideas through advertising was a key part of this success.  I’m glad that I met Speedy and had an inside track to some of the greatest adverting campaigns of all time.