TAGLIARCHY Summer Escape!

[ohanafamily]

Never...

 

[NC Belle]

Originally posted by oddball27
NC Belle !!!!!

 

[ohanafamily]

Stoop....

 

[oddball27]

k

 

[ohanafamily]

So....

 

[ohanafamily]

very.....

 

[NC Belle]

 

[oddball27]

you do know, ohana, that this is cheating

 

[ohanafamily]

Low...

 

[ohanafamily]

Burma Shave!

 

[ohanafamily]

What, you have never heard of this ad campaign?
http://www.two-lane.com/burmashave.html

WITHIN THIS VALE
OF TOIL
AND SIN
YOUR HEAD GROWS BALD
BUT NOT YOUR CHIN
Burma-Shave
The above set of signs stands at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan. The Smithsonian Museum also owns a set.

DINAH DOESN'T
TREAT HIM RIGHT
BUT IF
HE'D SHAVE
DINAH-MITE!
Burma-Shave

BEFORE I TRIED IT
THE KISSES
I MISSED
BUT AFTERWARD-BOY!
THE MISSES I KISSED
Burma-Shave

Do you remember the rhymes of the Burma-Shave signs from long ago? I surely do! We would look forward to reading the little rhymes, posted on consecutive posts along America's highways. I know Mom and Dad enjoyed them. One would announce, "I think I see some Burma-Shave signs!" Then for a few moments, a truce in the war of which kid was taking up more than his allotted space on the back seat of the family Plymouth. The signs were addicting; like someone once said, "No one could read just one." We had to read the entire verse, and we knew that the final sign would read, "Burma-Shave".

Nearly everyone who drove on America's highways from the 1930's to the 1960's knows of the signs. Or as one of the poems said,

IF YOU
DON'T KNOW
WHOSE SIGNS
THESE ARE
YOU CAN'T HAVE
DRIVEN VERY FAR
Burma-Shave

We took the Burma-Shave entertainment for granted. Do you know how the clever signs happened to be placed along the road? Thanks to a book, and a video tape, the story has been told. We'll tell you later how to find both.

A company near bankruptcy
Clinton Odell developed a brushless shaving cream which he called Burma-Shave. At a time when folks were really starting to travel America by automobile, the brushless shave cream eliminated the problem of packing a wet shaving brush and cup. Odell had an excellent product; all he lacked was a marketing plan. What was about to happen, is one of America's most successful advertising plans ever!

Allan Odell, one of three sons, convinced his father to spend $200 for some materials to construct highway signs. In 1926, using recycled lumber, Allan fabricated the first Burma-Shave verses, and erected one set of signs along Route 35, between Albert Lea and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Within weeks, drug stores began running out of Burma-Shave, and ordering more. The next year, Allan and his brother Leonard set up more signs, spreading across Minnesota and into Wisconsin, spending $25,000 that year on signs. Orders poured in, and sales for the year hit $68,000.

The Success
Although Allan wrote many of the early jingles himself, what made the sign campaign so successful is that ordinary folks were encouraged to write the jingles, and were awarded cash prizes up to $100. The family rejected any jingles which were even the slightest bit offensive. During WW II, homesick GI's would erect Burma-Shave lookalike signs in Alaska, Germany, and even Antarctica!
Eventually, about 7,000 sets of verses were posted along highways in 45 states. A sign crew with just 8 trucks maintained all the signs. The road men calling themselves "PHD's" (Post-Hole Diggers) changed the verses at least once a year and replaced any broken signs. Most farmers were more than willing to allow the signs to be erected on their land, for little more than a case of the product each year. The little Burma-Shave company grew to $3 million in annual sales.

The Demise
All good things come to an end. The Odell Family sold their company to Gillette, which in turn became part of American Safety Razor, and Phillip Morris. The huge conglomerate decided the verses were a silly idea, and that other types of advertising, especially television, would sell more product. By 1966, every last sign disappeared from America's highways. A very few ended up in museums.

Clinton Odell, founder of the company, died in 1958. Allan Odell, who came up with the sign idea, passed away in 1994, and his brother Leonard in 1991.


Order the book: "The Verse By The Side Of The Road", by Frank Rowsome, Jr. First published in 1965, demand continues to be so great it's been re-printed several times. The book tells the whole story, and even lists every one of the 600 roadside rhymes!

 

[ohanafamily]

Originally posted by oddball27
you do know, ohana, that this is cheating

Really? I was just making a long post for effect..... much better than

1 post:

2 Post:

3 Post:

 

[deadheadbelle]

Originally posted by ohanafamily
Really? I was just making a long ppost ger effect..... much better than

1 post:

2 Post:

3 Post:

Says who? Who died & made you Post Police??

 

[Danauk]

Hey everyone,
ohanafamily I guess you were really bored!! I agree that is cheating though if you were trying to boost your post count!!

Work today was hectic again. I had my maths lesson observed for my performance management, then I had to go to a really boring meeting about computers. We only have one real teaching day left which is tomorrow. On Friday I get my new class for the day then next week we have our fun trip out, sports day, class parties, tallent show wtc. Then on Friday the kids are not in so we have the day to get our roomd tidy and ready for next year.

Tonight I finally have a night in to relax. I guess I should catch up on all the gossip on the island.

 

[ohanafamily]

Ummm. I was just responding to the accusation of "Cheater".

I would never do it on the island, but SSsssshhhh, the Canadians don't know differnce

 

[ohanafamily]

OK, I just checked my post count,

oddball27 184
NC Belle 124
ohanafamily 54
TalkisCheap 54
Bichon Barb 45
deadheadbelle 44
Danauk 37
llebrekniT 35
Lewski709 32
cadburysmom 24
kadaten 24
CourtasanSatine 21
cheeringmom 17
AZKathy 15
dawgfan 13
geffric 12
castlegazer 12
ibouncetoo 8
RickinNYC 8
TheBellhop 8
s&k'smom 6
Laura 5
princesstommi 5
iluvtink 4
Tour Guide Barbie 3
depplyinluv 3
Hollyann 3
Dan Murphy 3
Deb T. 3
39CINDERELLA 2
edcrbnsoul 2
Mad4Mickey 2
Nephosaurus 1
TiggersPal 1
Nieceosaurus 1

I am so far behind the leaders, there is no way to catch them.
(and if I did want to boost my message count, I would do it in a place where I wouldn't get chastisd....

 

[ohanafamily]

OK, I'm

 

[Danauk]

Looking at the list you have a long way to go to beat [COLOR=9900CC]oddball27[/COLOR]

 

[ohanafamily]

I really am not trying to beat her (I will leave that to her folks) I was just bored, and wanted to make a few extra posts.

Oh well, I guess I'll get some work done...

 

[oddball27]

Originally posted by ohanafamily
Ummm. I was just responding to the accusation of "Cheater".

I would never do it on the island, but SSsssshhhh, the Canadians don't know differnce


**************************************************

I am so far behind the leaders, there is no way to catch them.
(and if I did want to boost my message count, I would do it in a place where I wouldn't get chastisd....

HELLOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! I WAS ONLY JOKING!!!! GROW UP!!!!!!