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To the rescue

Posted by Henry on April 22, 2004

In Reply to: Ajax White Knight posted by SR on April 22, 2004

: : : Hello! Could you help me with the sentence
: : : "They picked two of the most successful commercials now on the air. One is Action bleach by the Bates agency and the other is the white knight by Norman, Craig&Kummel".
: : : As I realise, "Action bleach" is the title (not sure) of the first commercial, then "white knight" - is the title of the second. Am I right?
: : : I looked definitions of white knight in different dictionaries, but I don't know to what author refers in this particular case.
: : : Click on the attached site for a full explanation of the Ajax White Knight. Its stronger than dirt!
: : : www.tvacres.com/ admascots_ajaxknight.htm

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: : I add the information to save you time...
: : Ajax White Knight - Clad in silver armor and mounted on a white steed, the Ajax White Knight galloped valiantly down neighborhood streets zapping dirty laundry with his magic white lance (a potent Medieval phallic symbol) to the tune of "Stronger than Dirt." First featured in a 1963 TV spot for the Colgate-Palmolive Company, the "White Knight" (called by the industry the worst campaign of that year) went on to become one of television's most successful. The Norman, Craig & Kummel Agency who devised the Ajax White Knight campaign had a similar success with their "White Tornado" concept in 1962. The inspiration for the White Knight campaign originated in a dream that the ad creator, Joe Sacco had one night. He saw a nightmarish world of housewives trapped in dungeons filled with dirty laundry, unable to escape the drudgery of daily routine. This dream gave him the idea for creating a savior who would steal them away from that realm of soiled clothing, a liberator who would unleash them from those tedious household chores. At first a figure of Sir Galahad was considered, but later a nameless White Knight character was chosen to reflect the cleaning potential of the detergent. There was a follow up "Name that White Knight" contest but it was a dismal failure. The White Knight campaign ran successfully for five years. TRIVIA NOTE: Earlier in his career, the now successful novelist Clive Cussler was a Hollywood adman. He was one of the copywriters responsible for the Ajax White Knight commercial slogan, "It's stronger than dirt." The rock group Soul, Inc.'s used the white knight slogan in their single "Stronger Than Dirt." The parody lyrics ("He rides a white horse, look out he' coming your way, you better run, you better get out of his way...the cat is cool") did quite well on the Louisville charts, reaching number one in the summer of 1967. In September 1968 The National Organization for Women (NOW) called its first boycott of Colgate-Palmolive products and demonstrated for five days in front of the company's New York City headquarters on Park Avenue. Anselma Dell'Olio and Barbara Love of New York NOW led the action with picket signs that read "Down the Drain With Ajax," "The White Knight Is A Dirty Old Man" and "Cold Power Versus Woman Power." In 1995 Roger Ebert's movie review of the film Stuart Saves His Family revealed "The movie uses flashbacks to establish the various family diseases. When little Stuart entered the TV contest to name the Ajax white knight, for example, he liked his entry (Sir Clean-a-Lot), until father started calling him Sir Eat-a-Lot." See also - "The Ajax Pixies"
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A white knight traditionally galloped to the aid of a maiden in distress. Today, a white knight may help anyone in difficulty, from a family with persistent stains to a company facing an unwelcome take-over bid.

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