I Want It That '90s Way

Image From: celeblists.com

I was born in the year 1990—the beginning of it all, and by “all,” I mean arguably the best decade known to man.

I was a Boy-Band-jamming, dial-up-using, Oregon-Trail-playing, bowl-cut-sporting, Slime-fearing child of the ‘90s, and I am more than proud of it.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you were probably born after Tupac was shot. After floppy disks were phased out.

Your light-up sneakers didn’t own the hallways. You didn’t played with GiggaPets at recess or watch Hey Arnold when you got home from school. Your parents actually cared if they fed you turkey slices that were so processed that they fit perfectly on top of a Ritz cracker.

Oh the good life. You guys missed out. But more importantly, you won’t understand how epic the new ad campaign for Internet Explorer is.

I recently stumbled upon their almost two-minute promo video on youtube and as much as I hate succumbing to gimmicks and tricks, they had me at that first image of a leopard print snap bracelet, just a mere seven seconds in. As soon as they brought out the yo-yos and fanny-packs, I was hooked. Nostalgia had overcome me as chills raced up and down my spine—I had surrendered myself.

If you took Advertising 101 you would soon find out that the ultimate goal of any sort of ad is to elicit some sort of emotional reaction from the target audience. Congratulations, Internet Explorer, I am on the verge of tears just thinking about Jonathan Taylor Thomas’s middle part.

In fact, your ad has been playing in my head for the past twenty minutes. Not only that, but your cute little “e” logo at the end is pretty much burned into my retinas after watching this video so many times.

Advertising at its finest. They nailed it. Put a big Target bullseye on my forehead and plant your Internet Explorer dart right into the center. We, the ‘90s kids, are at that age now. We’re starting to make our own decisions, use our own money, wean off the parental allowance and buy our own—dare I say it?—web browser.

It kills me to hear that voiceover remind me that I’m getting older. It’s calm voice so casually says, “You grew up, so did we,” as a kid wearing Nike Air Force pump shoes walks off the screen. Did I really grow up? It can’t be true. Does that mean that I should I be upgrading to Internet Explorer?

All I can say is well played, Microsoft, well played. That stupid little clock logo on my own computer is haunting me, sitting at the bottom of my screen bouncing up and down. It’s singing to me, telling me that it just doesn’t understand a ‘90s kid like me. It doesn’t know what it’s like to start my day off with a Flintstone vitamin and a Sunny D. It doesn’t capture my need of Boy Meets World and a game of Hungry, Hungry Hippo on a rainy day.

So, my fellow friends of the decade, I challenge you to watch this video and not feel the immediate need to spend the day with some beanie babies.

My ’90s Heart Will Go On. No Diggity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkM6RJf15cg