Chicagoans who tuned into radio or TV in the 1950s and 1960s likely remember the inventive, offbeat car-dealership advertising pioneered by Jack "Bubble-head" Metnick.
Mr. Metnick created a rocket- fueled marketing campaign in an era in love with all things space- age. He named his Oldsmobile dealership "Mars" and billed himself as "The Man From Mars." His commercials — for the first Jewish owner of a General Motors Oldsmobile Division franchise — pioneered wacky car advertising with lines such as: "Crazy Bubble-head has just landed from Mars with three antennas coming out of his head. … Mr. Metnick delighted young visitors to Mars Oldsmobile, 5027 W. Madison, by donning a space helmet in the showroom.
Jack Metnick died in 2000, at 83.
Mars Oldsmobile Inc.
5027 W. Madison Street, Chicago