The Evel Knievel ads

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The Evel Knievel Christmas ads are the ones that stuck, all "boom pow wow" energy, bikes jumping, explosions, a booming soundtrack. The knockoff toys never matched the hype, of course, they'd zoom a bit then topple over on the carpet. That gap between the fantasy of the advert and the reality of the toy taught me more about creativity than any perfect gift could have, ads sell the dream, imagination has to bridge the gap. Digital hasn't killed that kind of magic, it's just changed shape, though there's no real modern equivalent to those raw, loud toy ads, unboxing videos don't have the same tactile joy.