![]() They flirted with conservative politics here and there - Shagman played a Trump caricature in a very anti-Hillary ad back in 2015 - and there was often a libertarian anti-tax, anti-government undercurrent, especially in the lead-up to April 15 each year.Īudra’s role could edge into cheesecake, and even when she wasn’t the focus of a commercial’s prurience, Rocky’s could dip into some sexist stuff. Sure, some of Rocky’s ads were in bad taste (and “some” might be underselling it a bit). And even if you hated the commercials - as many did - they were memorable and ubiquitous, which is the baseline purpose of advertising in the first place. It wasn’t the first time Rocky’s would indulge in a substantial amount of creative indulgence in its campaigns, and it wasn't the last. The absurdist “ Men in Black” campaign back in 2000 played out over multiple ads, almost like a serial storyline. On the contrary, they often did some memorable stuff. That’s not to say that the ad campaigns were simple. The ads had all the subtlety of a whoopee cushion. It was pure cheese, the unrepentant embrace of the bad pun or the pratfall. But comedy - or what passed for it - ruled the day at Rocky’s, at least in terms of commercial strategy. That wink and nod were central to the advertising strategy of Rocky’s, which changed very little over the years despite a brief flirtation with “Troubleshooter” Tom Martino here and there. Vigil just posted to Facebook that it “was an honor and distinct privilege to work for an independent corporation with creative standards truly outside the norm, and I'd like to think I was a big part of it.” And then, in true Shagman style, he added, “Now, does anybody have a job for me?” Those roles were played for decades by the same trio of local actors: Ron Vigil, Odell Stroud and Audra Winn. But the on-the-cheap production values tended to work in favor of Rocky’s, with its pitchmen and -women Shagman, Officer Odell and Audra. Many in the Mile High had a love/hate relationship with Rocky's and its seemingly endless advertising budget, as well as the fact that those in charge of that budget went for - well, for volume over quality. Rocky's was ever-present on our UHF channels and car radios, a backdrop chorus to the song the Denver retail world sang and sang. ![]() ![]() This is a loss that will fill most Denver residents with significant ambivalence. Today, visitors to the Rocky's website are greeted with a single page that reads "Rocky's Autos is no longer in business as of September 6, 2022. Rocky's Autos gave a whole new meaning to the term "ad infinitum," because those commercials never seemed to stop, not for two decades in Denver.
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