The Iconic 1987 Park Pontiac Advertising Campaign

In the golden era of local television marketing, few regional advertising campaigns managed to embed themselves into a city’s collective consciousness as deeply as the commercials for Winnipeg’s own Park Pontiac Buick GMC. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, television screens across Manitoba were regularly blasted with high-octane, neon-soaked advertisements that transformed a standard automotive dealership into a local cultural phenomenon. It was a masterclass in regional branding, relying on high-velocity delivery, unmistakable catchphrases, and an unhinged energy that perfectly captured the spirit of late-twentieth-century local broadcasting.

At the very heart of this marketing juggernaut was a vibrant, blonde, curly-haired spokeswoman whose enthusiastic screen presence came to define the dealership's public image. Operating as the primary narrative anchor for the campaigns, her assignment was simple yet demanding: deliver rapid-fire inventory statistics, trade-in values, and promotional financing deals without losing an ounce of her signature high-velocity charisma. Her radiant smile and unrelenting positivity served as the ultimate counterweight to the aggressive sales metrics, creating a trustworthy and unforgettable face for the Winnipeg automotive landscape.

The undisputed crowning achievement of the entire multi-decade campaign was the birth of an accidental pop-culture phenomenon: the iconic catchphrase, "You got it, Park Pontiac!" Structured as a call-and-response dynamic within the editing timeline, the line would typically trigger when an off-screen announcer or customer questioned if a specific vehicle deal was genuinely possible. The spokeswoman would instantly pivot directly to the lens, smile brightly, and enthusiastically belt out the legendary phrase. The delivery was so punchy and infectious that it quickly transcended the boundaries of the commercial break, spreading directly into the daily vocabulary of Winnipeggers.

The Broader Campaign: This local spin built on General Motors and Pontiac's national ad campaigns from the era, with slogans like "You got it, Pontiac!" and "Pontiac's got it."

To push the campaign's sensory overload even further, the dealership paired their iconic spokeswoman with the roaring personality of local radio legend "Brother Jake" Edwards. Known for his booming voice and larger-than-life rock-and-roll persona, Edwards injected a completely separate layer of chaotic energy into the broadcast mix. He would routinely crash through scenes, throwing out his signature, gravelly catchphrase—"Wicked!"—to validate the dealership's financing specials. The contrast between his wild rock-radio energy and her polished, enthusiastic delivery created a fascinating, high-contrast dynamic that ensured audiences could never look away.

What truly separated the Park Pontiac campaign from its contemporary competitors was its sheer, unrelenting repetition. Day or night, whether residents were tuning in to watch the evening news, the Saturday night hockey game, or late-night syndication reruns on CKY or MTN, the dealership’s frantic promotions were a constant fixture. The editing was snappy, the graphic overlays were bold, and the audio mixing ensured the catchphrases echoed in viewers' minds long after the television set was powered down. It was a blitz strategy that successfully converted standard media buys into an unforgettable local institution.

Decades after the dealership changed ownership and the cameras stopped rolling, the echoes of the campaign continue to ripple through Manitoba's cultural history. Today, the phrase "You got it, Park Pontiac!" remains a nostalgic handshake among Winnipeggers of a certain generation, instantly deployed in casual conversation whenever someone utters a simple agreement. The campaign stands as a beautiful testament to a bygone era of local media production—a time when a local car dealership, a curly-haired spokeswoman, and a radio icon could join forces to write an unerasable piece of a city's history.