Bing Crosby for Minute Maid Orange Juice

My family was a huge fan of Bing Crosby's work, both in films and music. To this day, the "Road to" films are some of my all-time favorites, and it just doesn't feel like Christmas in my home without Bing's crooning voice filling the air. However, there was one reference my family made about Bing that always left me puzzled as a kid.

Whenever I asked for a third glass of orange juice, my mother would playfully tell me to "take it easy there Bing." This remark would elicit a laugh from my grandmother, but I couldn't understand why they associated Bing with orange juice. I mean, I loved orange juice, but what did Bing Crosby have to do with it?

As I grew older, I eventually discovered the connection. Bing Crosby wasn't just any celebrity endorsing orange juice; he was actually an investor in a company that produced orange juice from concentrate, which later became known as Minute Maid. So, my mother's playful reference to Bing when I asked for more orange juice was rooted in the fact that he had a direct association with the Minute Maid brand.

Looking back, I realize my mother probably didn't bother to explain her joke because she assumed I wouldn't fully grasp the context as a young kid. She might have known that someday I'd be curious enough to figure it out on my own, and that's exactly what happened. It's a funny little family reference that now makes perfect sense, and it's a reminder of how our favorite celebrities can become intertwined with everyday aspects of our lives, even something as simple as a glass of orange juice.

Here's a delightful commercial featuring Bing Crosby and his family in the 1970s, where he showcases his pancake flipping skills and continues to pitch for good ol' OJ, cementing his legacy in both the entertainment world and the world of orange juice.