Creative Disruption

Here Are the Surreal Retro Ads That Ran During the Diff’rent Strokes, Facts of Life Reboot

Ryan Reynolds' Maximum Effort revived the '80s with Jack in the Box, Kraft and more, while ABC created old-school promos for modern shows

Two business people wearing 1980s-era work clothing stand in a wood-paneled elevator — Actor David Leisure, who played the iconic Joe Isuzu ad character, stars alongside Jennifer Beals in a retro-inspired Jack in the Box spot.Maximum Effort

By David Griner

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If you were excited to watch ABC’s live reboot of Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life, you were probably just as excited to see the ad breaks were also infused with intense retro vibes.

Maximum Effort, the creative agency run by Ryan Reynolds and longtime collaborator George Dewey, created no less than seven spots, promoting a range of different products, to air during the Jimmy Kimmel-produced live performance of episodes from the popular 1980s sitcoms.

David Griner

David Griner is Adweek's international editor and host of the Adweek podcast, "Yeah, That's Probably an Ad."

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