Rom-ads of the Three Kingdoms
April 20, 2022 7:39 PM   Subscribe

The concept of McDonaldland (huge playlist, notable compilation from same) has a prominent place in public consciousness. Less well known is its rival, the Burger King Kingdom (compilation video). But before the current Jack-in-the-Verse (playlist) or even the Jack Pack, there was the Jack in the Box Bunch. (Two ads and three flexidisc-records-with-comics. Alt. vid of last one. And yes, at least those last three are voiced by Paul Winchell, Disney's original voice of Pooh and Tigger.)

Yesterworld has videos about the histories of McDonaldland and The Burger King Kingdom (and its successors).
posted by BiggerJ (11 comments total) 10 users marked this as a favorite
 
And as is well-known to Australian contract law experts, for franchise reasons the Burger King traded in the Antipodes as Hungary Jack's; a commercial arrangement based on a dual monarchy compromise from 1867 (as a consequence of losing the battle of Königgratz to Prussia), formally uniting the Australian Imperial crown and Hungarian monarchy. Franz Joseph and his heir as Burger King from then until the end of the First World War held also the Imperial crown of the Happy-meal-burgs.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 7:53 PM on April 20, 2022 [11 favorites]


original voice of Pooh and Tigger.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Sterling Holloway the original voice of Pooh?
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:55 PM on April 20, 2022 [7 favorites]


You are correct. I'd been going by one of the video descriptions.
posted by BiggerJ at 8:23 PM on April 20, 2022


Paul Winchell also invented an early artificial heart.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 9:53 PM on April 20, 2022 [1 favorite]


OMG! Jack in the Box Commercial: Lesbian

https://youtu.be/IQSVfrDb0pM

I was not expecting that!
posted by james33 at 3:43 AM on April 21, 2022 [1 favorite]


It's wild watching Gen X nostalgia calcify into straight-up "Back in my day..." but uh, back in my day, the burger joints had outdoor playlands where you could climb into a jail inside a burger cop's mouth and make friends with weird kids after you'd finished your Happy Meal. Those have been gone for 25 years, replaced first by indoor playlands that were supposed to reassure parents that no one was going to kidnap us as well as reduce liability. And now, kids just like using screens more. So fewer indoor playlands, too.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:31 AM on April 21, 2022 [2 favorites]




I mentioned in another thread that there's an active Instagram account filming_in_mcdonaldland, run by one of the artists behind the commercials in the '80s and '90s. There are lots of posts about storyboards and character evolutions. Seeing normal human guys and ladies working on the sets and controlling the puppets is surreal. It's not spooky or uncanny, just ... you know, all these talented puppeteers and artists glad to be in the industry, working a steady job with what they love, maybe hoping to go on to Henson or work for themselves someday, and doing this.
posted by Countess Elena at 9:31 AM on April 21, 2022 [1 favorite]


If you've got $7,000 lying around, you might be able to buy an old Big Mac Climber and Hamburgler slide in good condition.

I have to think that price is extremely negotiable.
posted by rhizome at 12:04 PM on April 21, 2022


Nope - "Have it your way" was Burger King's deal, not McDonald's.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:39 PM on April 21, 2022 [2 favorites]


... you know, all these talented puppeteers and artists glad to be in the industry, working a steady job with what they love, maybe hoping to go on to Henson or work for themselves someday…

Or maybe hoping to work for Sid and Marty Krofft.
posted by TedW at 1:59 PM on April 21, 2022 [2 favorites]


« Older The Surprised One Is the Dad   |   “I’m Joy” Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments