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08/10/2006: August Megaparty #10: The Milford Plaza!

A few years ago, when I was still working from home, I tended to go nuts, because I worked from home. The grass is always greener, and as a person prone to become a vegetable whenever the opportunity presents itself, I can’t stress enough how important and healthy it is to not have beds and couches within arm’s reach at all times. Point: When I worked from home, I sometimes went crazy and conjured up stupid trips just to get myself out of the house. In October of 2003, I decided to stay at the Milford Plaza in New York City, just to break the monotony. Until I started working in the city, I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t really know it. I mean, I knew the certain social corners my group of friends would frequent, but beyond that, I was as good as an Arkansasawian.

Within that, I had no idea what a crappy hotel the Milford Plaza was. Comparatively speaking, at least. I was led to believe that this was the place to be — the ultimate cosmopolitan hub. It wasn’t through word-of-mouth or planted reviews on travel sites. It was all because of a dumb commercial I saw fifty-thousand times while growing up.

I’m assuming that you’d have to have lived in the tri-state area to know this one, but the Milford Plaza commercial made the hotel seem fancier and more accommodating than, shit, heaven or something. With the catchiest jingle in all the land sung by the happiest bunch of hotel hands you ever did see, I grew up believing that a two night stay at the Milford Plaza was probably the greatest thing that could ever happen to a person. I was wrong. It wasn’t a slum by any means — for the money, it was perfectly adequate — but considering the shitty showers, the tiny rooms and windows that required jacks to open, this ad is total proof of the power of advertising. Watch the commercial, and tell me you’re not tempted to start booking.


Posted by Matt. E-mail me!

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Discussion Thread: 81 comments

Dude, I have a video tape of "Ghostbusters" that my parents recorded way back in 1987, and since I watched it constantly (I was 3, and obsessed with the GB) I have that whole commercial permanently etched into my subconscious. At the age of 22, I can finally appreciate the wordplay in the spelling of "lullabuy." Those clever so and sos…

Ghosted by J Dubs @ 08/11/2006 5:41 PM EDT

I live upstate in Rochester, and we’d get WPIX as part of the cable package…that thing was on TV night and day!!!

To be honest, I figured it got bulldozed years ago!

Also, great site…glad your back after your absence!!

Ghosted by Danny C. @ 08/11/2006 6:25 PM EDT

Okay, I’m tempted to start booking

Ghosted by Jenny @ 08/11/2006 6:59 PM EDT

Speaking of, I’ve been poking around San Francisco hotels for a vacation next year. Does anyone have any suggestions? I’d like a room downtown, but it’s not completely required. :P

Ghosted by Julie @ 08/11/2006 7:50 PM EDT

Hi, first-time poster here.

My goodness. This article brought back a little piece of my childhood I’d completely forgotten (actually, pretty much everything you write, especialy the stuff about New Jersey, does that for me, but I digress). Thanks for posting this!

– Simon J, former Jerseyan, currant Hoosier

Ghosted by Simon Jester @ 08/11/2006 8:22 PM EDT

So were there any other Milford commercials, or did they shoot their load of invitational glee all at once?

CEO #1–"I’m tellin’ ya, John, the boys in advertising really hit this one out of the park! We’re gonna be booked year-round, and eventually, there will be Milford Plazas all over the world! What’dya think?"
CEO #2–"I think I just sharted."

Ghosted by ColonelCatsup @ 08/11/2006 8:25 PM EDT

I loooovvvvvvedddd the Milford Plaza commercial! Back when I was 5, Annie had just came out, and I equated that with Mlford Plaza for some reason….btw, here’s an oldie but goodie jingle I used to hear on the eye witness news morning additon before i went to school in the morning:

(scene shows a Henry the 8th type king)

(Cheesy Irene Cara flash dance ish music starts)

Trump castle Hotel and Casino, the best party that we knooww..
Your the king of the caasssstle!!!

I also remeber this other one with Doo Wop guys singing about diamonds, Robinns on the Rock or something.

And that baby furniture toy store in Westbury,"we sell everything but Giant Gorrillas!"

There’s a current one that also gets in my head at inconvienient moments:

5-8-8 2-3-hundred Em-pire…today!(cue to computer generated guy that looks like Stan Lee)

Ghosted by mandy_Reeves @ 08/11/2006 8:36 PM EDT

I haven’t read the posts yet, i just wanted to hurry up and see if i could even post anything myself, i keep getting that message that says youre over your limit or whatever! Its felt like ive had my tongue cut out for a week now or something!

Ghosted by Katella @ 08/11/2006 9:20 PM EDT

Katella – You feel like you’ve had your tongue cut out? Greymatter=Godfather. It must be stopped.

Totally off topic, but I’m so excited – we’re getting digital cable, after a year without it! Wrestling, BBC America, those million music channels that no one listens to – honestly, I’m a little giddy. Had to share.
The giddiness is probably because I work from home, and now will have a new distraction.

Ghosted by Jessica Marie @ 08/11/2006 9:51 PM EDT

I’m the real Joker!
I actually vaguely remember this ad, never had the need to stay in a NYC Hotel though.
The song is stuck in my head now!-

Ghosted by Joker @ 08/11/2006 10:29 PM EDT

5-8-8 2-3-hundred Em-pire…today!(cue to computer generated guy that looks like Stan Lee)

I thought these ads were a local NY thing, but I found out through Conan O’Brien that they’re also run in Chicago! During Conan’s week-long stay in Chicago, one night had La Bamba dress up at the Empire Carpets Guy, followed by the entire audience singing the jingle.

Ghosted by Invader Norbert @ 08/11/2006 10:51 PM EDT

Ah, yes–the Milford Plaza…the hip hooray of ballyhoo of Broadway! The commercials weren’t local–I seem to remember them more during CBS’s football show (what was the one called with Brent Musberger and Irv ‘looks like Nat ‘King’ Cole’ Cross. That and Dutch Master products.

Ghosted by kindersczenen @ 08/11/2006 11:45 PM EDT

the windows are locked so tightly due to the MULTIPLE suicides or mudres that have occured there over the years . . . a despondant sciencetologist jumped from the 10th floor in 1990 http://www.whyaretheydead.net/Noah_Antrim_Lottick_24/ and a man in the navy pushed his girlfriend out of an 6th floor window http://www.navytimes.com/print.php?f=1-292925-2191333.php

there are more window deaths that have occured at this place so i guess that is why the mangement choses to triple lock the windows — but it does not seem to help. it’s a nice-looking hotel from the outside of the building — but it’s kind of like the "old" times square on the inside — seedy and sad

Ghosted by ginger @ 08/12/2006 1:52 AM EDT

43 BUCKS!?!?! These days, even the shittiest of hotels aren’t that cheap!

Ghosted by Nate @ 08/12/2006 3:11 AM EDT

Those Empire ads? That group is based out of Chicago, but it is a national group. Having lived in Chicago for a decade I know that one of the unofficial rules of being a Chicagoan is that you have to know the Empire song. Also, Cub fans are considered to be second-rate citizens. :D

Ghosted by mjf7583 @ 08/12/2006 10:42 AM EDT

I grew up with that ad 25 times a day for my whole childhood. UPSTATE, baby!

Matt

Ghosted by Another Matt @ 08/12/2006 12:38 PM EDT

I love localized commercials. My favorites are the kooky car commercials that only people from your area remember the catch phrases from. "100 dollars says we’ll beat your best deal REGARDLESS!" "What Grandma says, Grandma DOES!"

Here’s a pre-SNT question: What’s the best hotel you’ve ever stayed at?

Ghosted by Blazer @ 08/12/2006 3:52 PM EDT

wow… talk about a kick in the balls section of my memory…
I know I’m a bit late posting here and therefore no one will probably read this but I had to post anyway.
This commercial, is probably one of my most prevelant memories from TV when I was a kid. considering this ad ran at least twice during every commercial break I found myself singing along with a song I hadn’t heard in at least a decade. The only other ad that could compare with this were the Shop-Rite Can-Can commercials…
holy shit.. this made my night.

Ghosted by WonKa @ 08/12/2006 7:51 PM EDT

My God that commercial springs my mind back about 18 years. Wow.

Ghosted by Joseph Christ @ 08/13/2006 9:02 PM EDT

Jesus, Matt, you really are a magician. How do you find some of this stuff?

This commercial haunted my childhood in Queens. It was in heavy, heavy rotation for at least two years, and, since they knew their demographic, the only respite was Saturday morning cartoons. When the "Milford Plaza" jingle came on, you knew cartoons were over for another long, joyless week.

And like Starwenn, I never hear "the Lullabye of Broadway" to this day without thinking of those scary reception women in their matching outfits and ubercoiffs.

Ghosted by hodsthorn @ 08/14/2006 7:46 AM EDT

that was definitely a commercial that sticks with you. i still quote from it til this day!

Ghosted by Jay @ 08/14/2006 12:37 PM EDT

"Wrestling Challenge" was the other weekend WWF programming.

I am from upstate and they aired the Milford Plaza commecial here too. I think it was on WWOR, but even the local NBC affiliate aired it too a few times, and we are nowhere near NYC. I thought the commercial was awesome too, the jingle alone was unforgettable.

Ghosted by Destro @ 08/14/2006 3:37 PM EDT

My God I remember this commercial like it was yesterday. Geez, I’m getting old (29, but who is counting!?).

Well done, as always!

Ghosted by crookedterror @ 08/16/2006 12:08 PM EDT

Boy, that one brings back memories. Anyone who watched tri-state area TV in the mid-to-late ’80s has that commercial ENGRAVED in their head.

If you thought that the Milford was a shithole now, you should have seen it then, right off of the then-whore-infested 42nd street in a hellish sort of metropolis only seen in the likes of a Tim Burton film. I’m sure these days are some of its better ones.

Ghosted by Oliver Haddo @ 08/17/2006 12:02 PM EDT

By the way, the jingle is actually a bastardized "Lullaby of Broadway" by Al Dubin and Harry Warren, circa 1935.

Ghosted by Oliver Haddo @ 08/17/2006 12:16 PM EDT

I’m just really glad they made the Children’s Aid Society.

Ghosted by Chris @ 08/18/2006 6:52 PM EDT

Ah, what the legendary Mount Airy Lodge?

Ghosted by SarahNY @ 08/21/2006 3:54 PM EDT

That place is/was and will be a dump/dive!

Ghosted by Brian @ 09/01/2006 11:18 PM EDT

Seriously, please put up the Mount Airy Lodge commercial if you have it!! I’ve been looking for it for ages. Youtube has an older one, but not the “love of everthing” one. It could be a fitting memorial for the place.

And thanks for the Milford Plaza. I haven’t forgotten the words all these years later.

Ghosted by Railyn @ 09/19/2006 11:12 PM EDT

And then there’s “Young People’s Day Camps”, where “we make fun happen.” And what about the 70s commercials for the Collingwood and Seville hotels? And who can forget those 1970s Jack LaLanne commercials that were the beginning of “health spa meats singles bar”? (no, that’s not a typo)

Ghosted by MrWriteSF @ 03/26/2007 4:37 PM EST

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