Here’s the most entertaining two minutes you’ll spend today. Don Draper meets Gerry Anderson in a goofy and wonderful Camaro commercial from 1967.
This video comes to us by request. Mac’s Motor City Garage contributor Rick Voegelin is a big Camaro fan—he’s got a barnful, including the blue ’67 coupe he drag raced throughout the 1970s, pioneering NHRA’s Super Mod category. Rick suggested the legendary Camaro volcano commercial as the perfect period counterpoint to the meaty ’67 Camaro engineering documentary we featured.
“Over the top doesn’t begin to describe this,” says Rick. “Volcanoes? Really?”
Volcanoes indeed. The spot reminds of us of an old Japanese science-fiction movie. In Chevrolet lore, this two-minute promo is said to be the very first Camaro commercial to air on broadcast television. And as you can see, the Madison Avenue people went all-out to create a memorable first impression. It’s just that the special effects of the time weren’t quite up to the artistic vision, so the fire and brimstone come off as totally cornball. All the more fun for us here in 2014 as we look back to see how they sold ’em in 1967. Enjoy.
How many martinis were harmed in the writing of this commercial?
I wanna “big car” engine.
Sure it comes off as cornball now, but I wonder what people thought back in ’69. I wouldn’t exactly know, to be honest.
Of course, most people who saw this originally did so in black & white…