This Legendary Detroit Institute of Arts Commercial From 1976 Has Resurfaced

As an advertising and public relations major, I have always been overly into advertisements. I love a good, smart commercial or a well-written billboard. Plenty of commercials that have become part of pop culture (Sarah McLachlan will always make me think of sad dogs). Music in advertising has always been a major player in advertising, ever since TV and radio ads started back in the 50s.

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Before EastHills Mall released this infamously awful commercial showing what items you can get at the mall, the Detroit Institute of Art released a quirky video showcasing everything in the museum, letting everyone know that "you gotta have art."

Detroit Institute of Art

Rocking one of the largest collections in the country (65,000 pieces), the Detroit Institute of Art (DIA) has been a fixture in downtown Detroit since it opened in 1885. Through many expansions and even a location change, the DIA has amassed an impressive collection of pieces, including Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry and Vincent Van Gogh's Self-Portrait, the first Van Gogh painting in a U.S. museum collection.

How do I know they have a Van Gogh? Well, they featured it in one of the catchiest dang commercials of the 1970s (besides Buy the World A Coke).

"You Gotta Have Art!"

If you were a kid in the 1976, this commercial and its catchy song has probably teleported you back to your living room where you'd sit and watch Saturday morning cartoons.

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In the 60-second commercial, a variety of people are dressed like famous paintings next to the painting or impersonating the statue. It's a fun way of showcasing the DIA's pieces while giving the pieces something for consumers to remember them by.

Clearly the commercial has stuck with people nearly 50 years later, as people on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook all say they have relatives who were in this commercial, some even say they still sing it when they visit the DIA.

Is it time for the DIA to bring back this iconic commercial for the 50th anniversary next year?