It’s hard to believe but the classic Eat ‘n Park Christmas Star commercial is celebrating 40 years on television.
For generations of Pittsburghers, the famous spot featuring a star trying to fly up to the top of a tree, has been marked the beginning of the holiday season.
So how did the commercial come to be?
Eat ‘n Park says it started in the early part of 1982 when then CEO Jim Broadhurst “wanted to create a holiday card on video to thank the city of Pittsburgh for their support of Eat ‘n Park and our Caring for Kids campaign for local children’s hospitals.”
Ad agency Ketchum was asked to create something that would last for 20 years.
After over 30 ideas over three weeks, they decided to go animated.
Art director Craig Otto then came up with the idea sketching out a star and asked, “How does the star get to the top of the tree?”
“Jim immediately loved the spot, and a timeless classic was born,” Eat ‘n Park said. “The idea of the relationship between the tree and the star illustrates an enduring holiday lesson – by helping one another, you’re making the world a brighter place.”
And now 40 years later, the simple yet effective TV commercial has become an iconic part of Pittsburgh’s holiday history.
If you can’t get enough of the Eat ‘n Park Christmas star, many area locations are selling star mugs and other merchandise.
Find out more information about the classic commercial here.