4 ms·

In 1985 Maxell built a bunch of life-size robots for its bad floppy ad

142 points by rfarley04 7mo ago

bitwize 7mo ago
I vaguely remember these but I more clearly remember the Samsung ad which featured a similar looking robot in a dress turning letters on a gameshow, implying that Samsung would still be around even after Vanna White was replaced by a machine. Vanna White sued, claiming a breach of her publicity rights (despite her name, the name "Wheel of Fortune", or her actual likeness not being used) and actually prevailed in court, establishing a precedent in the United States that very broadly protects celebrities' rights to control whether and how they are represented.
- omoikane 7mo ago
  Was it this one? https://paleofuture.com/blog/2013/2/20/robot-vanna-trashy-presidents-and-steak-as-health-food-samsung-sells-tomorrow https://paleofuture.com/blog/2013/2/20/robot-vanna-trashy-pr... It's now 2026 and Vanna White still has not been replaced by robots, but that must have been a successful ad in 1988 for people to remember it decades later.
luxuryballs 7mo ago
> Except the glaring mistake of putting “3½” microdisk” in the copy when there are 5¼” floppies on the table. The MF 2-DD box shown is 3.5, I think they just used the bigger disks on the table because they are much better props for the video.
- camkego 7mo ago
  If you look at the first image in the article, the one with a floppy on a serving tray, it looks like an 8 inch floppy to me. I think the floppy disks in the board room might also be 8 inch floppy disks
forinti 7mo ago
I don't recall ever using a Maxell floppy, but their cassettes were the best.
- hwhshs 7mo ago
  Are your ears alight?
- to11mtm 7mo ago
  Semi random fact, but there's actually a Vaporwave artist that used a number of Japanese Maxell advertisements in a distorted/looped manner for the better part of a whole album....
  - john-tells-all 7mo ago
    Thanks! The album is Fuji Grid TV https://vaporwave.wiki/wiki/Vektroid#fuji_grid_tv https://vaporwave.wiki/wiki/Vektroid#fuji_grid_tv (TIL Vaporwave has a wiki. We live in awesome times.)
- lysace 7mo ago
  blank vhs covers were kinda beautiful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9DfSCk-6Ko https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9DfSCk-6Ko
  - forinti 7mo ago
    Very nice job. Thanks for that.
- js2 7mo ago
  For anyone not familiar with this classic ad: https://youtu.be/dgrJEpUqSuw https://youtu.be/dgrJEpUqSuw
tim333 7mo ago
I found a Maxwell robot video ad but I think it's just actors in robot outfits https://youtu.be/CKloQVH_72M https://youtu.be/CKloQVH_72M Honda was more impressive then with Asimo which was a real robot https://youtu.be/DerM1GNtg5A https://youtu.be/DerM1GNtg5A
- hkpack 7mo ago
  While watching the second video, Futurama theme song started playing in my head :-)
- petepete 7mo ago
  Meanwhile in the UK we had robotic aliens advertising instant mashed potato. https://youtu.be/uKt-KR1TsRg?si=l6KDBOryvtEk6gg2 https://youtu.be/uKt-KR1TsRg?si=l6KDBOryvtEk6gg2
  - kerridge0 7mo ago
    And we had good skeletons - in 1985, Aardman Animations created this advert for VHS cassettes https://youtu.be/ffa1E9k3H4k https://youtu.be/ffa1E9k3H4k
    - Angostura 7mo ago
      I can hear the voice of Derek Gyller without even clicking the link.
- js2 7mo ago
  Maxell. No w.
djmips 7mo ago
Why is it referred to as a 'bad' floppy ad. I thought it was cool.
- blackhaz 7mo ago
  Same. Still a great pleasure to see those ads from the past. Nothing compared to ads today.
- jhbadger 7mo ago
  The "bad" is referring to the floppies, not the ad. The ad with the robots at dinner was about buying Maxwell floppies (which were considerably more expensive than no-name floppies) because otherwise the machines might "eat your files". A modern equivalent would be buying a SanDisk SD card over cheaper alternatives.
  - js2 7mo ago
    Maxell. No w.
- fortyseven 7mo ago
  Looks like the whole site revolves around calling ads "bad'. An approach that, itself, is rather bad. Especially in this instance.
jorgen123 7mo ago
Interesting to see this statement at the top of the article. Long live the web fighting back. Not sure I have seen many (any?) sites with this. Calls for some sort of acronym or logo that others can adopt without having a long sentence at the beginning of many pages: "This newsletter does not contain ads, sponsored posts, or affiliate links. Open and click tracking are disabled. And there is no paid upgrade or AI generated content. Enjoy!"

142 points by rfarley04 7mo ago

I vaguely remember these but I more clearly remember the Samsung ad which featured a similar looking robot in a dress turning letters on a gameshow, implying that Samsung would still be around even after Vanna White was replaced by a machine. Vanna White sued, claiming a breach of her publicity rights (despite her name, the name "Wheel of Fortune", or her actual likeness not being used) and actually prevailed in court, establishing a precedent in the United States that very broadly protects celebrities' rights to control whether and how they are represented.

omoikane 7mo ago
Was it this one? https://paleofuture.com/blog/2013/2/20/robot-vanna-trashy-presidents-and-steak-as-health-food-samsung-sells-tomorrow https://paleofuture.com/blog/2013/2/20/robot-vanna-trashy-pr... It's now 2026 and Vanna White still has not been replaced by robots, but that must have been a successful ad in 1988 for people to remember it decades later.

luxuryballs 7mo ago

> Except the glaring mistake of putting “3½” microdisk” in the copy when there are 5¼” floppies on the table. The MF 2-DD box shown is 3.5, I think they just used the bigger disks on the table because they are much better props for the video.

camkego 7mo ago
If you look at the first image in the article, the one with a floppy on a serving tray, it looks like an 8 inch floppy to me. I think the floppy disks in the board room might also be 8 inch floppy disks

forinti 7mo ago

I don't recall ever using a Maxell floppy, but their cassettes were the best.

hwhshs 7mo ago
Are your ears alight?
to11mtm 7mo ago
Semi random fact, but there's actually a Vaporwave artist that used a number of Japanese Maxell advertisements in a distorted/looped manner for the better part of a whole album....
- john-tells-all 7mo ago
  Thanks! The album is Fuji Grid TV https://vaporwave.wiki/wiki/Vektroid#fuji_grid_tv https://vaporwave.wiki/wiki/Vektroid#fuji_grid_tv (TIL Vaporwave has a wiki. We live in awesome times.)
lysace 7mo ago
blank vhs covers were kinda beautiful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9DfSCk-6Ko https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9DfSCk-6Ko
- forinti 7mo ago
  Very nice job. Thanks for that.
js2 7mo ago
For anyone not familiar with this classic ad: https://youtu.be/dgrJEpUqSuw https://youtu.be/dgrJEpUqSuw

tim333 7mo ago

I found a Maxwell robot video ad but I think it's just actors in robot outfits https://youtu.be/CKloQVH_72M https://youtu.be/CKloQVH_72M Honda was more impressive then with Asimo which was a real robot https://youtu.be/DerM1GNtg5A https://youtu.be/DerM1GNtg5A

hkpack 7mo ago
While watching the second video, Futurama theme song started playing in my head :-)
petepete 7mo ago
Meanwhile in the UK we had robotic aliens advertising instant mashed potato. https://youtu.be/uKt-KR1TsRg?si=l6KDBOryvtEk6gg2 https://youtu.be/uKt-KR1TsRg?si=l6KDBOryvtEk6gg2
- kerridge0 7mo ago
  And we had good skeletons - in 1985, Aardman Animations created this advert for VHS cassettes https://youtu.be/ffa1E9k3H4k https://youtu.be/ffa1E9k3H4k
  - Angostura 7mo ago
    I can hear the voice of Derek Gyller without even clicking the link.
js2 7mo ago
Maxell. No w.

djmips 7mo ago

Why is it referred to as a 'bad' floppy ad. I thought it was cool.

blackhaz 7mo ago
Same. Still a great pleasure to see those ads from the past. Nothing compared to ads today.
jhbadger 7mo ago
The "bad" is referring to the floppies, not the ad. The ad with the robots at dinner was about buying Maxwell floppies (which were considerably more expensive than no-name floppies) because otherwise the machines might "eat your files". A modern equivalent would be buying a SanDisk SD card over cheaper alternatives.
- js2 7mo ago
  Maxell. No w.
fortyseven 7mo ago
Looks like the whole site revolves around calling ads "bad'. An approach that, itself, is rather bad. Especially in this instance.

jorgen123 7mo ago

Interesting to see this statement at the top of the article. Long live the web fighting back. Not sure I have seen many (any?) sites with this. Calls for some sort of acronym or logo that others can adopt without having a long sentence at the beginning of many pages: "This newsletter does not contain ads, sponsored posts, or affiliate links. Open and click tracking are disabled. And there is no paid upgrade or AI generated content. Enjoy!"