Oh Yeah!

We met when we were both much younger.
And we changed each other’s lives forever.

He was just an awkward, goofy, somewhat emotionally stunted kid back then.
Not unlike myself.
He was somewhat self- (and other-) destructive.
An individual of very few words,
(actually TWO!)
Somehow many, many others felt they knew him…
but not like I did.

Me?  

Back then, I was continuing on my journey as The Forever Kid.
My job allowed me to do that.
I spent the majority of my so-called “adult life” as an “ad guy”.
Somewhere between Don Draper,
(but much, much better looking),
and Darrin Stephens, 
(executive wannabe at McMann & Tate).

I started as a Jr. Copywriter,
then Sr. Copywriter,
then Creative Director,
then Managing Partner.

I loved my job.
I couldn’t believe someone would actually pay me
to come up with ideas and turn them into mini-movies.
Or as my Dad used to tell me,…

  “Thank God for advertising…what else would you do?”

It was just as my career was beginning to take flight…
that fate brought us together.
I was assigned to the Kool-Aid account.
Of course, when most hear the very mention of Kool-Aid…
the first thing they think of is…
the larger-than-life…

(Or as those few who know him personally, as I did…“KAM”).

First, I must dispel a long-standing myth for those who know me.
I did NOT invent Kool-Aid Man…
but, I like to say…
I made him “truly kool”!

The timing was right.
My own kids were in their “Kool-Aid Years”…
my son, Adam, 4 and his big sister Danielle, 7.
Truth is…
many of the ideas I used to create Kool-Aid campaigns
came directly from their uninhibited creative little minds.

In his early years,
while certainly making himself well-known,
KAM never realized his true potential.
His existence was restricted to…
1. Crashing through walls.
2. Uttering in his throaty voice… “OH YEAH!”.

But all that was about to change!

Me and KAM immediately bonded.
Both, overgrown kids.
We became so close that he actually became my alter-ego…
he began living out my own fantasies.
Suddenly he became…
a DJ,
a surfer,
an Olympic medalist.
He was grooving to soundtracks by Naughty By Nature.
He was cruisin’ in a hydraulic-bouncing convertible.
He grew a Mohawk and jammed on an electric guitar.
He drove huge crowds into a frenzy at open-air concerts.

We even gave him a Mom…”Mama Kool Aid”,
(voiced by Estelle Harris, who also happened to be the mom of George Costanza.)

NOTE: We used to say he was a son’of’a pitch(er)…and Ju-ice on his mother’s side.

My team and I created a whole new world for him,
a whole new culture...
“Wacky, Wild Kool-Aid Style!”

NOTE:  You can still see those spots on YouTube,where most comments state…

“Whoever made these commercials must have been on drugs!!!”

               …but perhaps, that’s for another post.

Today, my wacky, wild boy has gone on to guest shots on …
The Family Guy,
The Office,
SNL,
Geico commercials,
and countless memes.

I’m so proud.

I could go on about KAM for hours,
but for this post,
I want to share two personal stories.

The first happened at the 4th birthday party of my son Adam.
Living on New York’s Upper East Side…
birthday parties were somewhat of a competition. 
Each kid,
(more like their parents),
had to “top” the other parties with some novel theme or gimmick.

For my Adam’s B-Day…
I reached out to my buddy, KAM.
I was able to borrow the Kool-Aid Man “wardrobe”,
(a giant red “pitcher”, oddly made of the same material as the Corvette Sting Ray). 
Plus, for the very first time in history…
the “pitcher” costume…
was inhabited by the guy…
who was the voice of KAM!!!!
Mr. Richard Berg,
whose “OH YEAH!” has become a mantra
for a generation of Kool-Aid guzzling kids.

As the jaded tykes and their status-seeking moms
mingled in the decked-out gymnasium…
suddenly through the swinging twin doors,
( thankfully not through the wall),
emerged little Adam Skollar holding hands with…
the Big Man!!!

The initial reaction was stunned confusion.
Then…
SCREAMING!
Some screams of glee.
Other screams of fear.
Followed by a rush to KAM
and for some strange, dark reason…
smacking and punching of him ensued?!?

As he stumbled his way around the gym,
he was a giant, red Pied Piper.
Adam, himself, displayed his own range of emotions…
laughter,
pride,
possessiveness,
and his own sense of fear.

That day,
that pitcher…
KAM came through for his old friend.
Those kids, (now thirtysomethings), still talk about that party..

My other story took place as me ‘n KAM were working.
Kool-Aid advertising actually had two campaigns:
The Wacky Wild kid-focused campaign
and the warm, emotional, “good Mom” campaign.
As a rule…
the Mom campaign was created with mostly warm, wonderful moments
of Moms and kids bonding over some beautifully-shot purple and orange drinks.
This was no place for KAM to be busting through walls and causing mirthful mayhem.
But, I felt it was time for my friend…
to stretch himself as an actor.

We were shooting in Australia
(Why? I have no idea?!?)
The spot was built around a heart-tugging musical theme…

                       “Kool Aid Stands for Lots of Great Taste…and a Whole Lot More”

Luxurious, slow-motion shots of …
kids laughing and cavorting,
moms hugging,
ice cubes splashing in glasses filled with multi-colored nectar.
It was a beautiful thing.
Not a dry eye in the house.
AND…for the climax…
(In my own personal homage to Adam’s birthday party)…
an adorable 4 year-old would hold hands with his hero, Kool-Aid Man,
as they walked up a hill into an unbelievably, gorgeous Aussie sunset.
I mean…C’mon!

We were awaiting the perfect moment to shoot.
We used to call it…“Golden hour”,
a tiny window of time to capture the ultimate sunset.
The cinematographer checks his lighting and gives the ready-to-go signal.
The crew is ready.
The adorable 4 year-old is ready.
KAM is ready.
I am ready.
The director is about to call “Action”.
Suddenly, I feel a tap on my shoulder.
I turn to see some Assistant to some Associate to some Brand Manager,
(a decidedly junior client).
He says…

“Can I ask you something?”.

I respond,

           “Let’s just get this shot…time is critical”.

He says,

          “But I have a problem with the shot”.

I ask,

  “Wait, what????”

He explains,

”Well when they walk off into the sunset…”

 With my patience thinning, I say,

  “Yeah, AND??”

He adds,                       

 “Well, they are walking away from us.”.

As the sun begins to fade rapidly,
through clenched teeth  I say…

“Right, and?”…

 He goes on…

        “So, we don’t see his face.
How will people know that’s Kool Aid Man?”

Fortunately for me,
I don’t have much of a temper.
So I kept my job.
And I did not strangle my client.
But…you can’t make this stuff up.

Oh yeah.

        If you have any personal memories of Kool-Aid…I’d love to hear them.