New York Deli Potato Chips were my Purple Passion

New York Deli Potato Chips still exist. Sadly, I do not live in the Wise distribution area, so I will only speculate that they are good as I remembered back in the 1980s. Even if they are not, they still have a lot of going for them, the top thing being that purple bag. Back when these started showing up in the delis in my hometown, these purple bags would ALWAYS catch my eye.

Combine that with one of the catchiest jingles on TV and you have the makings of a winning product. The commercial came out in 1986, which was the tale end of core eighties. It has pretty much everything you could want in an eighties commercial. Catchy music, amazing visuals, and an optimism and passion that exceeds anything you will get from consuming the product. Although with New York Deli Potato Chips, they come close.

Watch the amazing New York Deli Potato Chips television commercial

I love the idea of chips so good that you need to post a Do Not Disturb sign on your door before tearing open a bag.

This commercial was put together by Mark Itkowitz when he was at Jordan, Case & McGrath in New York. The music house Sicurella & Smythe wrote the melody and it was sung by Valerie Simpson of Ashford and Simpson. The voice you hear doing the announcing? The Was Itkowitz himself.

The spot was shot in New Rochelle, NY at DuRona Productions and was directed by John Sturner.

According to Itkowitz, “One of the more interesting aspects of the production was getting the neon New York Deli logo on the car window at the end. We had to actually create the neon logo in reverse, so it reflected properly. The scene was shot on a sound stage in the middle of the afternoon.”

To get your own New York Deli Chips, you can check your local store or head over to the Wise Online Store. They appear to be pushing this as their “kettle” brand. I remember the chips being crunchy and thick, so I guess that makes sense.

They are still in the distinctive purple package. Although I prefer the more cohesive neon and purple design of the original bags.