A few weeks ago, we got excited and posted some weird, slow-jam, doo-wop version of the classic "Don't Lay That Trash on Oklahoma" commercial from the 1980s. Here's a snippet of what we wrote:
For several years now, we’ve begged for someone with Jordan Associates or ODOT to add the classic “Don’t Lay That Trash on Oklahoma” commercial to YouTube. Since both groups are either incompetent or don’t read The Lost Ogle, it never happened...
Well, I guess you can't say the people at Jordan Associates are incompetent or don't read The Lost Ogle. A few days after we posted the weird remix jingle to YouTube, Jordan uncovered the original 1987 TV commercial from their archives and uploaded it to YouTube.
The video is everything it should be: awesome, cheesy and nostalgic. I even think Young Steve Lackmeyer makes a cameo at around the 26-second mark. Check it out:
Did it give you goosebumps? Yeah, me neither, but it was still kind of cool to see. It reminded me of those carefree childhood days in the late 1980s when Jennifer Eve was hot, Dodson's Cafeteria was open and Larry Evan's went toe-to-toe with the Mathis Brothers for awkward furniture commercial spokesperson supremacy. It also reminded me not to litter, which leads to...
Is it time to bring back this campaign?????
It seemed to work in the 1980s. Hell, I bet it still works today. I guarantee you that 75% of the people who lived in Oklahoma from 1987 - 1990 remember this commercial, the jingle, and the overly enthusiastic "Yeah!!!" They also probably think trash should go in the can.
Perhaps ODOT or the Turnpike Authority or Department of Health should launch another anti-littering campaign that's centered around an updated version of this commercial. For fun, maybe they could have local bands submit covers of the jingle or something. They could even turn it into a contest that incorporates social media. Did you read that? Social Media!!! What a great buzz word! I bet someone is scheduling a meeting in Outlook right now.
But then again, I'm just a former PR and marketing guy who publishes an obscure local social blog that's read by perverts, losers and attractive girls that subconsciously want to make out with me. What do I know about littering, other than you don't lay that trash on Oklahoma.
p.s. - If you want the totally trademark and copyright violating "Don't Lay That Trash on Oklahoma" t-shirt, go to Tree and Leaf on Expressway and buy one.
p.p.s - Here's a screen of the Young Steve Lackmeyer I was talking about:
