In the 1980’s WISL was under new ownership and a new marketing campaign was underway. The “I WISL in my car” campaign invited listeners to stop at various advertising businesses (a.k.a. “Listening Posts”) in the Shamokin and Mount Carmel area and pick up a bumper sticker. Listeners were encouraged to proudly display the sticker on their car for a chance to win various prized as would be announced on WISL Radio.
In this exhibit, we present one of the posters that each “Listening Post” would display, along with one of the bumper stickers listeners would pick up.
“WISL Listening Post” poster that would be displayed in a participating business
This is how McDonald’s was getting the Big Mac sandwich into the minds of millions of customers in the Mid 1970′s. The original concept, “two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions – on a sesame seed bun” began as a simple single word heading designed for college newspapers, but quickly grew into a song, a television advertisement and a promotion that had radio listeners trying to say the ingredients as fast as they could for a chance to win prizes. While many still remember the slogan today, the original campaign was ended in 1976, after a mere year and a half run.
1970’s McDonald’s Bumper Sticker
The local McDonald’s on route 61 in Coal Township caught the fever and called on WISL Radio to create some radio buzz over their signature sandwich. Here we find your favorite WISL DJ’s calling on contestants to say the Big Mac ingredients in three seconds or less for a chance to win their choice of a Big Mac T-Shirt or five Big Mac sandwiches. This was certainly a tall task, something even the DJ’s themselves had a hard time doing. Don’t feel bad though, even if they couldn’t get the words out in time they would still walk away with a coupon for a free Big Mac of their own. Everyone was a winner on WISL Radio!
