Takeout Nostalgia: Our Favourite Retro Takeout Commercials

Come with us as we revisit the catchy jingles, quirky campaign concepts, and hype-worthy contests from decades past that live rent-free in our heads. 

Combing through the archives of vintage commercials always brings up warm and fuzzy memories, and the takeout industry has definitely given us some gems over the years. In honour of our favourite food holiday, National Takeout Day on April 15th, chew on this list of the best vintage takeout commercials: 

Ask any Canadian who grew up in the 2000s if they remember the Yop Me Mama commercial, and they’ll be able to sing you the fun Jamaican-sounding ditty,

When I wake up in the morning, I’m still asleep,
I really don’t want no toast.
Don’t want no OJ, no tea and no cereal;
Give me a yogurt drink I’m wanting first.

Woooah!
Give me Yop, me mama, smooth,
Yop me mama! Give me Yop me mama
When the morning come.
Give me Yop, me mama,
Yop me mama!
Yop for when the morning come.

For all of us teenagers of the early aughts, that song perfectly encapsulated our sentiments around waking up for school. What better way to get going in the morning than with a sweet, drinkable yogurt-y beverage and a catchy tune.

If you want to feel patriotic about living in this great country of ours, look no further than this iconic Molson Canadian beer commercial from 2000. Take it from Joe when he says, “Canada is the second largest landmass, the first nation of hockey, and the best part of North America!”

If that line doesn’t make you want to crack a crisp, cold Canadian at your next east coast kitchen party, weekend at the lake, or local game of shinny, are you even Canadian?

It’s no secret that the pizza industry really dominates the world of takeout jingles, but we will admit that most iconic jingle in the takeout category was definitely a toss up between 439-00-00 Pizza Nova and 967-11-11 Phone Pizza Pizza. At the end of the day, longevity won. Pizza Nova’s jingle has been around since 1987 and is still going strong! One of the more modern examples highlighting how iconic this jingle is in the mind of Canadians came when the brand launched their ad featuring fans singing the jingle.

Though Pizza Pizza’s jingle was first introduced about ten years earlier, it was retired following the death of Pizza Pizza founder and CEO, Michael Overs, who adored the ditty.

Grabbing a Timmie’s coffee was never more exciting than when Roll up the Rim was on! The first sighting of that red cup with the yellow arrow peppered with pictures of flat-screen TVs and mini-vans would have you running to your local Tims for a cup of joe. There was nothing better than rolling up that rim with your thumbs to reveal the WIN/GAGNEZ – though usually it was just a coffee, it did mean the opportunity to Rrrroll again!

In today’s digital age, all of the rolling happens virtually on the Tims app. Though the prizes are just as exciting, we don’t get to roll up the rim on our physical coffee cups anymore. But we’ll always have the memories of Rrrrolling up the rim to win – an iconic annual Canadian tradition since 1986.

In the early 90s, McDonald’s began distributing hockey cards to the excitement of collectors everywhere. Your burger and fries were accompanied by a rush of excitement as you opened the 3-card pack to see which players you got. Slight disappointment followed when you realized it was a card you already had, but luckily you could always trade with your friends for the players you needed to complete the set!

The 2005-2006 Sidney Crosby was one of the most valuable in McDonald’s hockey card history, selling for well into the three figures online. To this day, you can find full sets of vintage McDonald’s hockey cards on eBay for $20-50. Not a bad return on your investment considering 3 cards only cost you around $0.50 back in the day!