No More Money Funny Business

The National Cash Register Company (NCR) traces its origins to 1879, when James Ritty invented the first mechanical cash register. The device was designed to prevent theft by clerks by providing a visible record of transactions and a locked cash drawer. In 1884, John and Frank Patterson, from Dayton, Ohio, purchased the company and its patents and renamed it the National Cash Register Company. The Pattersons transformed the company into one of the first modern American corporations by introducing innovative sales techniques, guaranteed sales territories, and sales quotas. By 1886, sales had more than doubled to 1,000 machines per year. Two years later, the company became multinational. In 1906, NCR introduced the first electric cash register, which remained in production for nearly forty years.

In 1953, it established an Electronics Division and acquired the Computer Research Corporation (CRC), marking its entry into the computer industry. In 1974, NCR commercialized the first bar code scanners, which were used for the first time at a supermarket in Troy, Ohio. They remained a pioneer in open systems architecture with the launch of the NCR Tower supermicrocomputer in 1982. NCR was acquired by AT&T in 1991, marking the end of its independent operation. Five years later, the restructuring of AT&T led to NCR's re-establishment at the beginning of 1997 as a separate company and involved the spin-off of Lucent Technologies from AT&T. As of 2023, NCR Corporation was split into two independent public companies: NCR Voyix legally succeeded NCR Corporation, while the ATM business was spun-off as NCR Atleos.

Note: The above advertisement is from 1957.

They Call Me Speedy

Alka-Seltzer is an antacid and pain reliever. Its effervescent "fizzing" tablets release active ingredients when dissolved in water. Developed by head chemist Maurice Treneer, it was first marketed by Dr. Franklin L. Miles of Miles Laboratories fame in Elkhart, Indiana in 1884. Print advertising was used immediately, and by 1932, the radio show Alka-Seltzer Comedy Star of Hollywood began, along with many more. The radio sponsorships continued into the 1950s, with the Alka-Seltzer Time show airing from 1949 to 1957. Miles Laboratories was purchased by Bayer in 1979.

Alka-Seltzer's "Speedy" character was introduced in 1951. His body was made of one Alka-Seltzer tablet, while he wore another as a hat. It was conceived by Chicago's Wade Advertising Agency (1909-1966) and designed by illustrator Wally Wood. Originally named Sparky, the name was changed to Speedy to align with that year's promotional theme, "Speedy Relief". Speedy appeared in over 200 television commercials between 1954 and 1964. Actor Buster Keaton (above) assumed various occupations for a series of commercials with the mascot. The ads through the 1970s were among the most popular of the 20th century in the United States. Adding to the success was Speedy's jingle, "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is" with an adult providing a child-like cartoon voice. Speedy was resurrected a few times over the coming decades. In 2008 Alka-Seltzer began a series of new commercials featuring the character using modern computer graphics.