Colorado is home to many local businesses that have left their mark on the Mile High City with unique commercials and advertisements. Here are a few of the most iconic commercials, ranked by a nostalgic Colorado-born college student.
10. Law Tigers
I thought that because this company was Colorado’s only motorcycle law firm, it was also the only Law Tigers in the country. Turns out, Law Tigers is a national association of independent law firms that specialize in motorcycle injury, not a Colorado-based firm. There are Law Tigers everywhere. While this discovery detracts from Law Tiger’s ability to be iconic within Colorado, the name and commercials are enough only to land a spot on the list.
Rating: 2/10
9. Sound Relief Hearing Center
I always see this ad while watching Jeopardy! While the question of where to go to fix my hearing problems has been answered, I am left more confused than ever about the pronunciation of ‘tinnitus’. Also, the Sound Relief Hearing Center expanded to Arizona. Good for them!
Rating: 4/10
8. McDivitt Law
Started in 1974 by Karen and Mike McDivitt, McDivitt Law is a large personal injury law firm based in Colorado. Today, the family firm is joined by Mike and Karen’s son David and they run commercials with an animated ribbiting frog. I hear the frog from these commercials in my dreams sometimes, but the animation is cute and I like the frog’s little bow tie. Does it have a law degree, too?
Rating: Cute, but I’ve seen more memorable. 5/10
7. Anderson Hemmat Levine LLC/ Anderson Hemmat McQuinn LLC/ Anderson Hemmat LLC
While there seems to be a story behind the story here in terms of the name changes, the focus today is on the commercials. Mostly, these ads fall a touch too close to middle school video presentations using clip art from Google Images. “Get the picture?”
Rating: Great slogan, below-average graphics. 6/10
6. O’Maera Ford
Now over 100 years old, O’Maera Ford started in 1913 as Colorado’s first Ford dealership when Alfred O’Maera moved to Colorado following a tuberculosis diagnosis. In 1968, the dealership moved to its current location and, in 2013 and 2018, the family added Volkswagon and Buick GMC dealerships to the company. O’Maera has featured Bonnie Murray-O’Maera as their spokeswoman since 1976 and frequently stars in their iconic commercials, where her accent and passion have made her a staple on Denver television.
Rating: Honestly, fascinating history. 6.5/10
5. American Furniture Warehouse
Jake Jab’s AFW commercials certainly feature the wildest animals out of all iconic Colorado advertisements. The furniture company, headquartered in Douglas County with locations in Colorado, Arizona and Texas, has a long history of using tigers and lions in its TV commercials. While the use of exotic animals in American Furniture Warehouse’s advertisements is now a thing of the past, the symbol remains. So do the stuffed animal tigers purchased by parents for their kids during trips to AFW.
Rating: Cute stuffed animals. 7/10
4. Lodge Casino
Nothing beats a catchy song. The Lodge Casino, a main-stay casino in Blackhawk, has one of the catchy-est jingles around. Their commercials, which feature guest testimonials, have used the same ending jingle “1st Choice For Fun” for a least a decade.
Rating: 8/10
3. Frank Azar
Franklin D. Azar, raised in Colorado, founded his injury law firm in 1987 after graduating from the University of Colorado and earning his law degree at the Univerity of Denver. Today, his firm operates nine locations and runs a scholarship program in southern Colorado. The Mile High state, however, best knows Frank Azar as “The Strong Arm,” as he is famously called in his TV commercials. That’s a name that demands respect.
Rating: For being the best arm-wrester around. 8.5/10
2. Shane Co.
Just by bringing up this name, you’re probably thinking of the commercial already. Here’s one of the iconic lines: “Find us one half mile East of 1-25 on Arapahoe Road or online at Shaneco.com.” There are only a few commercials aired in Colorado that elicit the same kind of reaction as Tom Shane’s radio ads and it’s a truly Colorodran experience to recite the operating hours and slogan of the local jewelry store. However, while Shane Co. is headquartered in Colorado, it’s not entirely local with shops in 13 states. Tom Shane’s voice is distinct, vivid, and clear, but it is no longer unique to Colorado, a fault that prevents Shane Co. from taking the top spot on this list.
Rating: The best friends in the diamond business. 9/10
1. The Tree Farm
Founded by the Colorado native Saphn Family in the 1980s, The Tree Farm is a staple of Mile High culture. Not only does the farm offer an extensive nursery to satisfy botanical needs, but the company’s catchy melodic jingle has made Coloradans sing along for years. If I ever fall victim to some sort of tragic amnesia-inducing event that removes all memories of my former life from my head, I will still remember directions to The Tree Farm. Safe to say, this advertisement, both through television and radio, is a formative, core member of many Coloradans. While we couldn’t find a video of the “Take I-25 to exit 235, and five miles west to the Tree Farm” jingle, we hope you’ll appreciate this nostalgic clip for now.