Relive The Commercials Of Chicago's Past

By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 29, 2013 6:30PM

Website Midwest TV Guy compiled a list of 20 classic Chicago television commercials that will poke at the sides of any Chicagoan who grew up in the 70s and 80s with the sharp stick of nostalgia.

The usual touchstones like Empire Carpet Victory Auto Wreckers Eagle Insurance and "Harry Schmerler, your Singing Ford Dealer" are on the list as are ones we had forgotten about like this 1980 ad featuring Harry Caray shilling for La Preferida foods.

We also forgot about Timmy from Long Chevrolet. Here's Timmy as a fresh-faced tween in 1978 selling cars for his uncle James's dealership

And her's Timmy three years later in a suit and tie, all grown up and fretting over his next sales commission.

Timmy Long went on to sell cars at his father's dealership. Eric Zorn wrote a wonderful 1990 profile of Long.

In our opinion, no list of classic Chicago commercials is complete without Al Piemonte. But with Schmerler, Long, Bert Weinman Ford and Celozzi-Ettleson Chevrolet ("at the corner of York and Roosevelt Roads") it could have been easy to make that list an all Chicago auto dealership list.

Piemonte, who still does commercials to this day, always seemed like a cross between Michael Corleone and Ricky Roma from Glengarry Glen Ross.