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Was This the Best-Ever Use of a Bra in a National Park?

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on March 28, 2009 - 3:30am

Lorraine Lengkeek knew what to do when the chips were down. Photo via Adsite.

Here at Traveler we’ve been thinking about doing a series of posts about magazine ads filmed in national parks. Of course, there are also ads featuring products people can use in national parks. You know what I mean -- parkas, climbing gear, hiking boots, binoculars, watches, bras, that sort of thing.

And speaking of national parks and binoculars and watches and bras, here is a magazine ad that caught my attention back in the 1990s. It’s a Timex watch ad of the “takes a licking and keeps on ticking” genre, and here’s how it reads:

Lorraine Lengbeck was hiking down a trail in Glacier National Park, singing 'How Great Thou Art,' when a grizzly bear appeared and attacked her husband Deane. She fought off the bear by whacking it on the nose with her binoculars, and then used her bra as a tourniquet to stop Deane's bleeding. Lorraine is wearing a Timex camper watch with our IndiGlo nightlight. (Great for caves.) It costs about $40.

Now, I ask you; is that a great ad, or what?!

Postscript: Timex Corp. launched the highly successful "takes a licking and keeps on ticking" slogan in 1950, had a 33% share of the wristwatch market by 1960, and kept the licking-ticking campaign going for many years until it grew stale. The slogan was resurrected for a while in the 1990s, but shelved again when it was decided that Timex must have a fresher image if it is to compete with ESQ, Fossil, Guess, Swatch, Swiss Army, and other brands with a hip image.

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on March 28, 2009 - 9:44am.

It's probably all an advertising lie. Never trust those people to say anything t true.

Submitted by Lana Robert (not verified) on March 28, 2009 - 12:21pm.

I love it! GReat story.
Though I never knew how the concept was born, I admit it's even better than imagined... I say, resurrect the story and outsell all competitors. I have always considered Timex the best watch for time and value...and it was the "...keep on ticking" motto.
Thanks Timex.
Somethings are timeless.
You're one of them.
Lana

Submitted by RoadRanger (not verified) on March 28, 2009 - 8:59pm.

Br'er Bear, bare bra, now bra bear. Great post. Thanks for lifting us out of the usual seriousness.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on March 28, 2009 - 11:37pm.

what a scene of fighting w/ an animal. seriously a kind of braveness!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on March 29, 2009 - 1:17am.

I DONT CARE. I ALLWAYS ENJOY TIMEX WATCHES THEY DO TAKE A LICKIN AND KEEP ON TICKIN....

Submitted by Frank N (not verified) on March 29, 2009 - 4:49pm.

Don't think I'd want to try whacking a griz. on the nose with my binocs, or anything else for that matter! Kind of makes you think about all the different possible uses for a bra in the back country. Somehow I just don't think my wife would understand if she found one in my backpack though!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on December 14, 2009 - 3:12pm.

Yes it is a true story. Lorraine is my wife's aunt