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. Hostess Cup Cakes © Ho Wendy © Classic Media
business. It’s kind of like watching your favorite TV shows and seeing the characters do a commercial where they know they’re doing a commercial. I always played it like, ‘Superman knows he’s hawking Hostess Fruit Pies in this.’” To some, the Hostess ads are cheesy relics of a bygone era that served no greater purpose than pushing Hostess Cup Cakes, Twinkies, and Fruit Pies. But to the comic bookloving kids of the era, these were such an unforgettable source of delight that not finding one in a comic would turn a kid’s world upside down. As well as these candy-coated commercials being an extra page of sequential art to read, they also served as the perfect introduction to comics characters that were completely brand new to the unenlightened. Sometimes, in terms of sheer entertainment, those innocent little Hostess ads were even more accessible than the featured stories themselves. These are the types of memories and experiences that made these strips and their harmless gags priceless. The success of this advertising campaign comes in large part to Hostess understanding that comics are a kid’s game at heart. Characters like Aquaman, Spider-Man, Archie, Casper, Bugs Bunny, and all the other featured players of these advertisements were conceived and designed to provide loads of enjoyment to children. Between these innocent and sweet ads, the baseball cards, and their luscious line of classic snack cakes, Hostess engaged the full attention of practically every child in American for years with their brand of goodnatured cheer. Hostess taught us all that the sweetest things in life come from what’s inside.
stess Brands, LLC.
The children of yesteryear spent most of their summers outside—whether we wanted to or not—and the blazing summer sun had us all running for cover. Thankfully, a cold Arctic blast came in the form of the refreshing ICEE drink. Omar Knedlik, ICEE’s creator, made a beautiful frozen-beverage machine that brought together a carbonated mixture of high fructose corn syrup, flavoring, and ice—the ICEE. And the rest, as they say, is history. One could be sure to procure one of these frosty beverages at the neighborhood 7-11, the home of the Slurpee (created under license using ICEE machines). And as if the ICEE wasn’t enough of a treat on its own, 7-11 sweetened the deal by offering colorful plastic cups featuring comic book characters. The inaugural 1973 collection featured 60 different cups based on characters from DC Comics. Determined kids looked high and low, braving heat and humidity in their quest to complete a set of these plastic grails. Later on, 7-11 and Marvel teamed-up for two promotions: 60 cups in 1975 and 40 cups in 1977. Aesthetically, the 1977 editions are the most spectacular to behold. Instead of featuring a solitary character with little or no background, these featured lovely panoramic vistas that captured the excitement of Marvel. They were real works of art, the benchmark of this short-lived event. Sure, these items look like cheap nothrill plastic cups to people now, but they meant the world to a kid in the ’70s. A brain freeze was a small price to pay for ice-cold slushy deliciousness and a killer non-dishwasher safe trophy.