Do any of you remember Slurpee rock cups? For those of you that don't, they were part of a fantastically successful ad campaign in the early 80's that had a tag line of "7-11's got Slurpee rock cups!"
For some reason I find myself singing that ad line over and over at various times. It just pops into my head. I really have no idea why. Anyhow, I randomly chose to Google it. I Google everything. It's an obsession. I'm a Googlist. Well, it turns out I'm not the only one who sings it. When I Googled the phrase "Slurpee rock cups" the first half dozen results were people writing about how they sing that phrase over and over and don't know why.
Is there some ratio to how many you purchased somehow effecting how much you think of the ad? Obviously that could have something to do with it. I purchased a lot of Slurpees (in fact I still love them). In high school it was common practice for us to go to 7-11 after soccer practice and get either a Slurpee or a Big Gulp...or in the times of daily double practices we would get both.
Slurpee rock cups had little round flicker sticker pog type items inserted into a false pocket on the bottom of each cup. Each pog advertised a particular band. Looking back now I realize that at least some of the bands must have been fairly indie types as R.E.M. was the one I remember particularly and was my favorite band back in the day (and still one today). Well, in the early 80s nobody knew who R.E.M. was. In fact I saw them for the first time in '83 at the Schnitzer and the place was so empty many people didn't have anyone in the seats next to them. I got a fantastic shirt at that concert (my favorite ever) and wore it non-stop the next year at the University of Oregon and people would often ask me who that was. My point being that 7-11 having that band on a card in one of their Slurpee drinks now seems fairly inconceivable.
I remember that card because I still had it up until a year or so ago. A rather annoying student named Mike Wilson who did the ad sales for the school paper signed my yearbook (I dated the editor of the school paper my Senior year so I hung around in the press room a lot) with an exceeding graphic drawing of a frog being seduced by a human (ah, hormones). To cover up the gross image I took my R.E.M. Slurpee rock cup card and stuck it directly over the frog. The sticker stayed there until I decided to sell it on eBay when I sold the rest of my R.E.M. fan club newsletters and collectibles. It didn't go for a lot, maybe $5.00 or so and I kinda wish I still had it (if nothing else to continue to cover the damn frog picture).
Nevertheless, even just yesterday I caught myself singing "7-11's got Slurpee rock cups!" and I still can't figure out why.
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15 comments:
I've never even heard of Slurpee Rock cups (but, then again, I wasn't drinking Slurpees till I was in college).
However, oddly enough, I do occasionally find myself with old McDonald's commercials stuck in my head - particularly the Big Mac song, and the menu cadence that the girls were jump roping to in one commercial (you know the one - "Big Mac, Filet o Fish, quarter pounder, french fries...icy coke, thick shakes, sundaes...and apple pies!".
Yeah, I'm weird like that.
I don't remember the song but I remember the pogs. I still have some in a box somewhere but mine are more mainstream, I know there's a Journey, and I think a knight ranger and maybe a loverboy one. I'll have to dig those out.
ROFLMAO! I totally remember the song! I had a KISS slurpee cup from that era that I cherished.
The emphasis was on the last two words -- "7-11's got Slurpee ROCK CUPS!" with a couple of quick video edits on "ROCK CUPS" for emphasis!
BTW, I found this blog by Googling for "Slurpee Rock Cops", LOL! It's a cult! At lest feel some comfort in knowing that you are hardly the only one who Googles obscure things from their past. Sometimes I do it just to verify that I really did remember that, it wasn't just my imagination. Thanks for the verification.
I found your blog because I googled "R.E.M." "Slurpee" to see if I was having a false memory or if this "inconceivable" thing indeed had happened. Thanks for the confirmation.
I remember those plastic-image-shifts-with-the-angle-of-light stickers--I had the R.E.M. circle sticker stuck in my locker in ninth grade. Two others that I recall are The Tubes and Ozzy Osbourne. The Osbourne one had Bark at the Moon, I think and The Tubes one had a plumbing tube in the shape of a tube. Thanks for blogging this.
This is hilarious. Why am I hear? Because periodically I recall the jingle from my youth "Seven-Eleven's got Slurpee ROCK CUPS!" I was hoping I could find one of the ads on YouTube or something... but alas...
I did find your blog post and isn't this the internet to a "T"? If you post it, they will come.
I don't recall ever having any of them, but we visited a friend and his older brother had BOTH of the KISS cups - there were too and I recall gazing upon them with nervous fascination and reverent awe.
This is too funny that I'm not the only one who was infected by that clearly effective marketing campaign.
Now if we could just get that jingle into Guitar Hero! Awesome!
www.swenlin.com
I still sing it every time I buy a slurpee for my kids.I dint remember R E M, but Paul Anka, Rod Stewart, and a few others.
"7-11's Got Slurpee Rock Cups!"
I'd thought this was late 70's. Really? Early 80's?
Wow.
In any case, it is indeed odd how these random slogans become emblazoned. Permanently.
There's another one, this one definitely from the late 70's: A "Jack in the Box" commercial. Old, stoic, distinguished guy, sitting in the library of his mansion, approached by a butler with some kind of a stamp (or coupon) on a silver platter.
Old guy sees the stamp, his face goes to immediate, ecstatic delight...
"Heeeeeeeeexcellent! It will complete the collection PURRF-ECTLY!"
...followed by...
"J-J-Jack, J-J-Jack, J-J-Jack...Jack in the Box!"
Wow.
So, yeah, this is another "me too" post.
Here I was at work and suddenly in to my head comes "7-11's got Slurpee Rock Cups." Next thing you know I'm posting a comment on your blog.
Funny how these things work.
never really liked Slurpees but the song still pops into my head, somehow. i don't remember if it was radio or television, or both. i lived in Tampa, FL. still do. finally Googled "slurpee rock cups" today. clicked on third link first, and here i am. thank you.
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I too have always kept that jingle in my head.
The New York media are such mean pups.
Seven Eleven's got slurpee rock cups!
The volcano's so loud whenver she erupts.
Seven Eleven's got slurpee rock cups!
That's a made-up little song I've sang to myself for years, using the "Seven Eleven's got slurpee rock cups" music/jingle. For whatever reason, it still sticks in my head, even though I haven't seen those ads in, like, 30 years.
Just googled and found this. That ad campaign defintely goes back to the 1970's. We would visit Grandma in Texas, and the commercial would be playing on tv there. Used to sing this for years; it's a running joke between my brother and I..."7-11's got Slurpee Rock Cups: Alice Cooper ! Anne Murray ! Kiss !"....lmao Somebody somewhere has got tos till have one in their closet !
That tune has been in my head for years I couldnt remember the rock cups part it always drove me nuts now I can die knowing. :)
I'm from Texas and that's around the time 7-11 closed down I hear they are coming back to San Antonio can't wait to eat a big wheel, drink a big gulp and finish it off with a slumped.
Hit me today in the car. Like a cherry Slurpee brain freeze "7 Eleven's got Slurpee rock cups!" I'm 44. My wife is still laughs about it. Wish I could see/hear (i forget which) the commercial. It was Boss
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