Remembering Joe Sedelmaier, director of iconic 1970s and '80s TV ads

NPR | By Mallory Yu,

Jeanette Woods

Published May 15, 2026 at 4:22 PM CDT

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We remember Joe Sedelmaier, the man behind some of the most iconic TV ads of the 1970s and '80s. The commercials were not splashy, but their characters and catchphrases became part of popular culture.