Composer/producer Tom Anthony, creator of the classic “Single-Most Favorite Double in the World…” jingle for Doublemint Gum along with other varied pieces of music which drove assorted other memorable ad campaigns from the 1970s and ‘80s, passed away on Friday, April 5, at the age of 88.
Among the many brands Anthony created for were Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Budweiser, Coors, Michelob, Burger King, Lipton, TWA, Wrigley, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Texaco, Florida Tourism, and Caribbean Tourism. He was an eight-time Clio Award winner, gaining recognition for such work as not only the Doublemint Gum jingle but also Polaroid Camera’s “Get it Now,” Air Jamaica’s “We’re Gonna Win You Over,” “Keep Your Sox On” for the Boston Red Sox, and Diet Pepsi’s “Now You See It. Now You Don’t.” Other well-known jingles he penned included “You Make America Work–This Bud’s For You,” “Say Perrier,” “Ooh, La La, Sasson” and Nabisco’s 1989 Super Bowl hit, “Favorite for Life.” His Coca Cola International “First Time” was sung by Robin Beck and became the number one song in England before going Platinum; it remains a standard today.
Anthony’s Doublemint jingle won an ANDY Award in 1980. In 1983, Advertising Age bestowed upon him its first-ever Award for Music for his Florida Tourism campaign: “When You Need It Bad, We’ve Got It Good,” which aired from 1979-’82. Anthony’s work for Anheuser-Busch garnered a CEBA Award in 1986. That same year The American Association of Advertising Agencies honored him at its annual convention for his outstanding work in music for advertising.
Anthony is survived by his wife of 45 years, Stephanie Fuller-Anthony, and his son Justin Anthony–as well as two younger brothers, Peter and William Anthony.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to The Environmental Defense Fund.
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More