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Ginny

Every Ending is a New Beginning

Author Ginny Otte
A standard stackable Washer/Dryer is 76 inched high.

They say every ending is a new beginning, and so today I had the honor of celebrating a new beginning for Mark and Doug Berkowitz, the 3rd and 4th generation of Derby Appliances of Edison, as they voiced their final Derby Appliances commercial. I had the honor of meeting them 17 years ago when I began working in the Creative Services department of Magic 98.3. Over the years I have witnessed the changes and growth of the business and of Doug, who I had the honor of watching from afar as he grew into the wonderful man he is today.

Recently, Mark Berkowitz decided that it was time to retire, which led him to the studio today for the recording of that final spot, with hugs all around and the sharing of personal stories and memories of times past.

Local businesses are the life’s blood of the community–supplying jobs, opportunities, friendships, and more– and so closing after 67 years is no small feat. It’s like watching a family member move away to begin life anew.

Before that move, however, you can still stop by and reminisce with the Berkowitz family at Derby, as they finish closing up shop and for Mark, beginning the job of enjoying his retirement. You can visit at 1599 Lincoln Highway, in Edison!

Best of luck to Mark on his retirement and to Doug, as he begins his next chapter!

8 Times Rock Stars Appeared in TV Commercials

It is not uncommon to hear some of rock’s biggest hits in television commercials, but when the rockstars themselves appear in the ad, that is surprising.

Here are just eight examples of rock stars appearing in TV commercials.

  • Paul Stanley - Folgers Coffee

    For reasons that haven’t been confirmed, the ad from 2000 never aired, but thanks to the wonder that is YouTube, it surfaced, and we’re thankful it did. Frankly, it’s an effective ad, and never has anyone performed the famous Folgers tagline jingle with such gusto!

  • Slash - Capital One Banking

    This Capital One Banking ad featuring Slash premiered in July 2022.

    The ad shows a band holding auditions for a new guitarist, and loe and behold, Slash shows up. Viewers see Slash — top hat and all — performing his iconic opening riff to the Guns N’ Roses classic “Sweet Child O’ Mine” while other potential guitarists look on in horror knowing they will not be picked to be in the band.

    The ad’s description on YouTube reads, “With no monthly fees or minimums and no overdraft fees, banking with Capital One is the easiest decision in the history of decisions. Even easier than choosing Slash to be in your band.”

    A few seconds into his “audition,” a member of the band then tells Slash, “Stop. You’re in,” and the guitar god responds, “Oh, cool!” with a smile.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMz-V8v_6U0

  • Vince Neil - Dollar Loan Center

    Vince Neil appeared in an ad for short-term loan provider Dollar Loan Center in May 2022. The ad is rather baffling for a number of reasons, from how Neil even got involved to the fact the ad is centered around Dollar Loan Center’s “Loan Approval Machine,” which happens to evoke The Cult’s classic tune “Love Removal Machine.” Whether that latter statement was the point of whoever came up with the ad’s concept, it makes casting Neil in the ad all the more confusing because…well…The Cult and Motley Crue are two very different bands.

  • Steven Tyler - Kia Stinger

    This Super Bowl ad took Steven Tyler back in time thanks to the Kia Stinger.

  • Eddie Money - Geico

    Who could forget Money as the best worst travel agent in this Geico campaign?

  • Lita Ford - Indeed.com

    She’s barely recognizable, but that conservatively dressed music teacher is Lita Ford in an ad for job site Indeed!  Amazing the difference a pair of horn-rimmed glasses, a bun and a floor-length skirt makes!

  • Alice Cooper - Staples

    The Godfather of Shock Rock appears in this Staples ad to clarify the lyrics to “School’s Out” to a very annoyed young girl who is clearly not looking forward to going back to school.

  • John Lydon - Country Life Butter

    Appearing in a commercial seems like the most un-punk thing to do ever, but that’s what John Lydon did in the late 2000’s when he appeared in an ad for Country Life Butter.  He would later say he used the money earned from the ad to fund a tour for Public Image Ltd., because he was having various issues with his record label.

Ginny Otte is a lifelong resident of New Jersey, having grown up in Lincoln Park, and lived in Wayne. She began her career in radio as the result of a prank phone call where the on-air personality she called said “please call again tomorrow,” and the station hired her to produce the show two months later; by 2006, Ginny began working middays at WMTR, and considers spending middays with listeners for so many years to be one of the highlights of her life. Ginny’s hobbies include genetic genealogy, family trees, knitting, crocheting, camping and hiking. She is a mother to three adult children and a grandmother to one.

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