Howie Cohen & Bob Pasqualina — Alka Seltzer

Alka Seltzer’s company growth in the early 70’s can be attributed to the creation of one fictitious character: the iconic ‘Ralph,’ whose famous words, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing,” resounded with viewers across the nation.

Howie Cohen and Bob Pasqualina’s vision for the ad was realized, as it met with an unprecedented response, according to Google:

When “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing” hit America’s screens, there were only four stations, and remote controls were a rare commodity. So it wasn’t long before their simple phrase was being repeated at dinner tables and water coolers around the country. Decades later and the line remains a part of popular culture, referenced on shows such as The Simpsons and immortalized in the game Trivial Pursuit. Howie and Bob’s commercial quip was selected as one of the ten best quotes of the decade by Newsweek and the spot was elected into the Clio Hall of Fame.

Bob Pasqualina and Howie Cohen launched their careers together at Wells, Rich, Greene, an advertising agency located in . They later went on to serve as co-creative directors of the LA office, but before that, they founded their own agency, Cohen, Pasqualina & Timberman. Cohen currently works as CCO of the Phelps Group in Los Angeles, while Pasqualina has relocated to Massachusetts, where he is enjoying retirement.

Watch the ad below:

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