W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Uncle Sam Deodrant Flexi Disc - Angelo, What Are You Doing? (1973)

Before things get too serious here at Rock On Vinyl, I thought it might be fun to post a song / album at the end of each month, that could be categorized as being either Weird, Obscure, Crazy or just plain Korny.

Between 1973 and 1975, Uncle Sam was a brand of deodorant, shampoo and toothpaste which had a huge marketing campaign in Australia. An Australian brand and creation, the actor who played Uncle Sam was Piero von Arnim. 

As part of the marketing strategy for this popular 'teenager' bathroom accessory, a double-decker bus toured regional areas of Victoria and New South Wales, all painted up, playing the Uncle Sam jingle and handing out samples. They even had glamour girls giving out promotional stuff including a flexi disc - a cardboard, single sided disc entitled '"Angelo, What are you doing?".  It's essentially a comedy, with some lovely mad moments mixed in with the Uncle Sam jingle. Other items on offer was a promotional Poster, Stickers and Underarm cloth patches that were worn in the T.V commercial

The jingle itself was catchy, and the graphics on the deodorant can really popped…a brilliant piece of marketing from the 70’s.

Front man Piero von Arnim lived for performing but was bemused and then constrained by its byproduct, fame. The staggeringly handsome actor and musician became famous as ''Uncle Sam'' in this hugely popular 70s' deodorant commercial. The brand itself was short lived but the commercials imprinted themselves on Australian popular culture forever.

They were the forerunner of modern deodorant commercials that emphasise sex and youthful vigour. And they were powerfully catchy.

''It's the perfect connection for fellas and girls / And under your arm is the top of the world,'' von Arnim sang, in a garish stars-and-stripes' jumpsuit and top-hat. The advertisements won the now-defunct Logie for best television commercial in 1975 and 1976.

 

Promotional Poster And Cloth Patches

Von Arnim was amazed at how quickly he became a recognisable face. A crowd of female admirers mobbed and then chased him from a Melbourne beach.

The 190-centimetre actor was the Cleo centrefold in July 1975, for which he posed nude behind a piano. But Uncle Sam cast a pall over his career. During his run as Brad in the Rocky Horror Picture Show, the audience sang the Uncle Sam theme when he came on stage.

Piero von Arnim was born in Cape Town, South Africa on April 29, 1950. As a youngster, Von Arnim had resolved to leave South Africa. His Swedish godfather implanted the idea of Australia in his head with the gift of a toy koala. After some wangling at the passport office and a $220 fare, he booked a one-way passage in 1971. He went to Adelaide, to take a master's degree in economics, but became drawn into university revues, led by a young Steve J. Spears.

In 1973, von Arnim was the titular Stud in Spears's first major stage play, a 1973 rock musical commissioned by a local sex shop owner. On tour with the show, von Arnim moved to Sydney and successfully auditioned for the leading role in McCann-Erickson's ''Uncle Sam'' commercials. To escape from the resulting fame, von Arnim left Australia. 

While visiting his family in South Africa, he landed a part in Zulu Dawn, with Burt Lancaster and Peter O'Toole. He played lead roles in a number of local films and was awarded best new actor. [extract from the Sydney Morning Herald, Nov 12, 2012 ]

So, this month's Uncle Sam post covers all facets of what makes W.O.C.K on Vinyl what it is today, a song that is Weird, Obscure (who else has this flexi disc?), a little Crazy and oh so Korny!  

A big thank you to Klaatu (at Ausrock) for the flexi-disc FLAC rip and artwork, and Peter's Milk Bar for the promotional material imagery. Now, if only Blogger could provide a 'scratch and sniff' feature, this post would be complete !

Download Flexi Disc (32Mb)