Nailed It! This Back-To-School Commercial Still Hits Almost 30 Years Later

It's been almost 30 years since this commercial first appeared on household televisions nationwide...back when most households still only had one TV, cell phones were still a relative novelty, and having an AOL Instant Messenger handle was a big deal.

I was just a teenager then, living with my folks in Orono. I remember sitting in the living room of our house on Middle Street, with my mom and my step-dad, Phil, when I first saw it.

As soon as the commercial was over, both my parents looked at me with expressions of complete understanding mixed with guilt; as if someone had just reached into their brains and extracted some secret piece of information and exploited it for all to see. And then, I recall, that they just started to laugh!

I remember thinking that I didn't entirely get the humor.

But now, as a parent to 4 of my own kids, I totally get it!

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Staples, all those years ago, had NAILED what back-to-school season meant to many parents: a holiday or vacation from the chaos of summer!

If you know, you know. Back-to-school season is both the most gigantic pain while also being (as the song in the commercial says) the "most wonderful time of the year!"

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In one, beautiful, simple, and hilarious commercial, Staples had epitomized what this time of year feels like for parents and kids alike!

The kids' expressions are priceless. The glee in the father's eyes as he nonchalantly tossed things into his cart was perfection. And that song, so very fitting.

The only thing that I would say has changed is that everything costs so very much more than it did in 1996, and instead of post-its and pens, parents these days are tossing laptops and tablets into their carts. But the sentiment remains.

In case you missed it the first time around, or need a reminder, I give you one of the greatest "Back-to-school" commercials of all time. It brings a great bit of humor to a period that, for many (kids, parents, and teachers alike) is an anxiety-inducing time of year.

Enjoy!