There’s a lot to unpack in this retro local spot from what is now a regional chain in Eastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey.
First, it appears to be from the ’80s, giving it a nostalgia vibe that viewers of Stranger Things, or NBC’s “Must See TV” night might recognize. Second, there’s the accent, which is unmistakably Philly, in all its Mid-Atlantic nails-on-a-chalkboard pronunciation and bizarre cadence glory (water is pronounced “wootur” ‘round these parts).
The production screams, “hey, who wants to get some free hoagies and be in our commercial while my cousin Ed shoots on his camcorder?” vibes, while the idea seems to have been born from “I dunno, why don’t we just eat some stuff while talking about our two best-selling sandwiches?” Were there beers or other mind-altering substances involved when making this ad? Not quite sure, and we’re not judging, but we might guess, yes.
Your host, Mike, of the Abington location, is wearing a graduation mortar board hat. Why? Maybe he saw himself as the wise professor of hoagies. At least he includes his diners in the dialogue as they scarf down various hoagies and cheesesteaks, prompting them several times to make a bizarre arm gesture while stating incoherently, in unison, “HRKMLRFNMH!”
In the end, we realize that the face-stuffed diners were mimicking David Byrne from the Talking Heads, stating “Same as it ever was,” no doubt with no rights to mumble the song, which is heard warbling in the background as Mike states it again for the third time in the spot. Is it a reference to the fact that the place has consistently made its sandwiches for decades, or is it that they just really liked that song and wanted to work in a bit of Stop Making Sense, which might be the theme of the ad? Anyway, it’s glorious in its nutty sincerity.
Thanks to Sodaneck for posting the video.
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Kyle O’Brien is managing editor of Indie Agency News.
