1953 Midway Drive-In Ad Campaign for Oh Boy

A few days ago I mentioned that I enjoyed my usual Midway Oh Boy out at the Lorain County Fair over the weekend. Well, over the weekend, an anniversary related to this iconic double-decker sandwich quietly came and went.

It was on Tuesday, August 25, 1953 – sixty years ago this past Sunday – when something special appeared in the Chronicle-Telegram. Mixed in with the radio and television news and movie ads on page 4 was a small boxed ad (below).

That's all it said: Oh Boy!

It was followed by another ad about a week later, on Monday, August 31, 1953. This one was a little more descriptive (below).

The "An Eaten Treat That Can't Be Beat" ad continued to run during September. I'm not exactly sure how long readers were kept waiting and wondering when Oh Boy would arrive.

Eventually, the teaser campaign came to a close and it was time for the big reveal. Thus this ad (below) appeared in the Chronicle on October 30, 1953.

Check out the price: 50 cents!

So there you have it – the advertising campaign that launched Lorain County's most beloved sandwich. Sixty years later, it's still being served up on Lake Avenue and is as popular as ever.

Here's hoping that the sandwich and the restaurant are both around for another sixty years!