Classic 1980s Atari MTV Commercials

Written By: E. Thomas

August 15th, 2011

In the 1980's Atari and MTV rocked the world. The two brands were a cultural phenomenon. Atari and MTV, a.k.a. Music Television, were the kings of the living room. Atari ruled the video game market, and MTV took the world by storm. MTV quickly spread across cable networks while music fans loudly proclaimed "I want my MTV!"

So what happens when you combine the two most powerful forces in 1980's pop culture? Strange and wonderful things! The following TV spots were made exclusively for MTV. They were shown mostly at night, and were directly aimed at older gamers. These bizarre TV spots are filled with surreal visuals, catchy tunes, suggestive themes, sexual innuendo, and centipede related violence.

Its the sort of thing you could only see on 1980's MTV!

Club Centipede

Dangerous Centipedes run amok! Come on down to "Club Centipede."

Pole Position

Yuppies are another cultural phenomenon of the 1980s. In this TV spot an unsuspecting family is forced to play a deadly game of Pole Position. Be sure to pay attention to the Yuppie dad, he's a real jerk.

Joust

A game of Joust gets a little too real for one video game fan. Heroic music, epic battles, and drug inspired visuals highlight this TV spot. This is one of the most unusual commercials for any product sold in the 1980's.

Centipede

Somebody call an exterminator! Atari Centipede is on the attack! And watch out, this one is sleeping with your wife!

For more classic gaming TV spots be sure to visit our Retro Gaming YouTube Channel!
http://www.youtube.com/user/DigThatBoxRETRO

webassets/DigThatBox_Token_2011.jpg