As a kid, the commercials between your cartoons were full of all the toys you wish you could have. Catchy tunes and bright colors could convince any kid that they needed some Gak, a pair of Moon Shoes, or that they could have their own dog without the commitment by getting a robotic pet. 90s kids commercials always had a theme song that you could sing along to, and they were catchy enough to get stuck in your head for days. One 90s commercial that still pops into my head from time to time is Sock'em Boppers; more fun than a pillow fight.
Sock'em Boppers, now called Socker Boppers for legal reasons, were two blow-up cylinders that were worn on your fists. They were a great way to play fight without actually hurting anyone. Personally, I never got my hands on a pair of Sock'em Boppers, but I’d still like to get my frustration out with a pair today. These fair fists became one of the top 10 toys of the late 90s because of their clever commercials. And also, just being an all-around great product. With the huge popularity of the blow up fists, the brand released similar toys to go along with their aggressive series: blow up swords, shields, and full body boppers. This way, kids could get violent without actually being violent.
Repetitive slogans (like “Sock'em Boppers, Sock'em Boppers, more fun than a pillow fight”) are nothing new in the advertising world. The fact that slogans and tunes can stick in your head for decades just goes to show how well repeating your product name (or what it does) over and over works. “Head-on, apply directly to the forehead” was the only thing the Head-on ads would say, and it would be in your head for days. When advertising to kids, this sort of thing works even better, because they’re not full of slogans from years of ads. Sock'em Boppers is no exception. And, even though they had to change to Socker Boppers in order to not infringe on Rock'em Sock'em Robots, I will still think of them as “Sock'em Boppers, more fun than a pillow fight” for as long as I live.
