Shoe City!

Article today on the decline of cheesy, low production value, locally produced TV ads. One of the ads profiled was Shoe City here in DC:

Still, some local advertisers still make 'em like they used to. These days, the more idiosyncratic work shows up mostly on cable systems, not on broadcast stations. That means the audience is far smaller, since an ad placed on the cable system in, say, Fairfax or Alexandria reaches only a fraction of the audience served by regional broadcasters such as WUSA (Channel 9), WTTG (Channel 5) or WBDC (Channel 50).

So, unless you live in the District, you probably haven't seen the Shoe City chain's grainy rap commercials ("My city/Your city/. . . Shoe City!"). And if you live outside Montgomery County, you'll never be regaled by commercials for Ranger Surplus, an outdoor-gear chain, that feature a character named Captain Happy. Similarly, the comic stylings of Howard G. are now primarily reserved for cable subscribers in Prince George's and Montgomery counties.

My city/Your city/...Shoe city! I feel the beat. You truly are missing something if you haven't seen it.

I only wish they'd also profiled Eastern Motors, "where yo job is yo credit." At Eastern Motors.... Na na na na nah.

I'd also have added the local Subway ads that Sam Cassell did in Houston when he played for the Rockets. He slurred through one line to open the commercial, holding up a sandwaich for the camera: "Some people say I'm a super sub, but this izza super sub!"

Alright, it's happy hour time. Off to the bar!